Application Spotlight: Surface Traction Coatings
For many types of equipment across different industries, surface traction is a desirable property that can be achieved via thermal spraying so that the surfaces can become non-slip and non-skid. This will also contribute to consistency in performance which in turn translates to better machine traction.
A&A Coatings can determine the coefficient of friction that is needed between your material surface and our thermal spray coatings. Once this is done, we can then match the surface texture for your application with RAs of 20 to 1000+. If the traction in the surfaces is diminished after a long period of equipment use, we can also strip off the coating and re-apply another coat to help you benefit from surface traction.
Benefits of Surface Traction Coatings
Why do you need surface traction coatings? Well, here is a short list of reasons:
- Achieve better tension control
- Prevent slippage
- Remove surface wrinkles
- Get better web tracking
- Ensure tight starts
Most Common Materials Used in Surface Traction Coatings
While surface traction coatings are useful for a wide range of applications, we need to remember that whenever there’s surface traction, there’s always the extensive wear element. Due to this reason, even though any material can be used to achieve surface traction, most people will prefer using materials that are best to combat wear. Such materials include:
- Carbides like tungsten carbide
- Ceramics
- Stainless steels
- Polyurethane
- Nickel alloys like nickel chrome
- Specialty polymers
Processes to Achieve Surface Traction Coatings
A wide range of processes can be utilized to create surface traction coatings and this includes the electric arc spray, HVOF spray, combustion wire spraying, plasma spraying, liquid dispersion, powder metalizing and more. However, the process you should opt for should be dependent on your application needs, substrates and budget. You can always enquire with A&A Coatings when you need professional advice about choosing a suitable thermal spray process to fit your requirements.
Common Applications for Surface Traction Coatings
Although surface traction coatings are most often used on rolls in the printing and papermaking industry to grab and feed paper, there are other applications these types of coatings are used for. Let’s summarize the most common applications here:
- Reel drums
- Winter drums
- Winders
- Pull rolls
- Carpet rolls
- Traction rollers
- Printing machines
- Friction discs
- Grip fingers
- Tool surfaces
- Textile and fiber parts
Today, more and more businesses understand just how cost effective and efficient thermal spraying has become to produce surface traction coatings. If you want to understand more about specialized applications that can be relevant to your business, call us at 888-679-5460 today.
