Patent ID: 7332036

Claim:
A thermal spray instrument ( 10 ) having a thermal spray torch ( 12 ), the torch ( 12 ) having a geometrical axis ( 14 ), the torch ( 12 ) being capable of spraying a jet ( 16 ) along its geometrical axis ( 14 ), the jet ( 16 ) consisting of a gas flow at elevated temperature loaded with molten particles of the material to be sprayed, the instrument ( 10 ) having a control unit ( 30 ) supplying the torch ( 12 ) with ingredients by applying the supply parameters ( 122 ) which are communicated to the control unit, the instrument ( 10 ) having a computer ( 100 ) communicating the supply parameters ( 122 ) to the control unit ( 30 ) by means of a unit-computer connection ( 120 ), the instrument ( 10 ) having sensors ( 52 ) capable of monitoring the movements of the torch ( 12 ), the sensors ( 52 ) being capable of transmitting information ( 112 , 114 ) about the operation of the torch ( 12 ) to the computer ( 100 ), this transmission being carried out by means of the sensors-computer connection ( 100 ), characterized in that: a. the computer ( 100 ) has software for realtime analysis of the information ( 112 , 114 ), in order to repetitively deduce therefrom the measurement of at least one spray parameter to determine when this measurement is stabilized, in order to calculate a new supply parameter value ( 122 ) and transmit the new supply parameter to the control unit ( 30 ) when the measured value of the spray parameter is outside a preestablished acceptable range of values specific to the spray parameter being processed, this new value of the supply parameter being suitable for returning the spray parameter to its acceptable range, b. the sensors 52 also have an optical pyrometer ( 70 ) capable of remotely measuring thermal radiation at a surface of an article ( 22 ) to be coated, the article being positioned in front of the torch ( 12 ), wherein the pyrometer ( 70 ) has a narrow field and is positioned so that the field comes as close as possible to the jet ( 16 ) on the article ( 22 ), but without interfering with the jet ( 16 ), the pyrometer ( 70 ) also being capable of periodically transmitting a temperature measurement to the computer ( 100 ) by means of the sensors-computer connection ( 110 ), the temperature measurement transmitted to the computer being referenced ( 114 ); and c. the computer ( 100 ) is capable of correcting the temperature measurement ( 114 ) as a function of an emissivity coefficient of the coating ( 22 ), the corrected temperature measurement called deposit temperature T constituting the spray parameter.