Modeling of plasma spraying process to manufacture hybrid materials

A component, which has an optimized combination of different materials in its different portions for a specific application, is considered as the component made of a multiphase perfect material. To fabricate such components, a hybrid layered manufacturing process was proposed and applies spraying, engraving, and refinishing technologies, among which the spraying step is the key technology for generating a coating of hybrid materials with their required volume fractions in every unit volume. To manufacture such a coating, it is important to study the spraying characteristics. This paper intends to establish the behavior model of plasma spraying, to implement the virtual manufacturing according to the behavior model, to analyze the volume fraction error of material constituents and to optimize the related technological parameters to eliminate the volume fraction error, thus providing the reliable basis for future real manufacturing. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex