Optical instruments aimed at the spray stream that use two-color pyrometry and time-of-flight measurements to report in-flight particle temperature and velocity, and sometimes size and plume position. Because coating properties follow particle state more closely than gun settings, shops use these readings to qualify parameters, compensate for hardware wear and catch drift before it shows up in the lab.
Particle diagnostics read 1,850 C and 640 meters a second on the carbide, right in the window, go ahead.
Also heard as
- in-flight particle diagnostics
- particle sensor
- inflight monitoring
Related terms
Gun voltage
The arc voltage of a plasma gun, watched as a live indicator of gas mix, power and hardware wear.
Running hot
Booth talk for parameters that are overheating the particles or part; running cold is the opposite.
Plume
The visible jet of hot gas and glowing particles streaming from the spray gun toward the part.
Deposition efficiency
The percentage of the feedstock sprayed that actually ends up as coating on the part.