Everyday name for the device that heats and propels the feedstock: a plasma gun with its electrode and nozzle, an HVOF gun with combustion chamber and barrel, an arc gun with its wire feed and air cap. Sprayers talk about the gun running hot or cold, rebuilding the gun, and gun hours since the last hardware change. Most production guns ride on a robot or traverse unit rather than in a hand.
Gun's at 40 hours on this nozzle, let's rebuild it before we start the carbide lot.
Also heard as
- torch
- spray gun
- spray torch
Related terms
Nozzle
In a plasma gun, the water-cooled copper anode the arc attaches to; in HVOF, the passage that shapes the jet.
Light off
To ignite the spray gun, whether striking a plasma arc or lighting an HVOF or flame torch.
Running hot
Booth talk for parameters that are overheating the particles or part; running cold is the opposite.
Spitting
A gun shedding blobs of molten buildup into the coating, leaving lumps known as spits.