Patent ID: 7323062

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 supply parameters ( 122 ) which are communicated to said 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 said measurement has stabilized, in order to calculate a new supply parameter value ( 122 ) and transmit said 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 an acceptable range, b. the sensors ( 52 ) have a camera ( 54 ) capable of periodically providing the computer ( 100 ) with the information ( 112 , 114 ) in the form of digital images ( 112 ) of the jet ( 16 ) as seen in profile over a part of its length, and c. the spray parameter measured from the images ( 112 ) is the position P of the jet ( 16 ), the camera ( 54 ) being capable of the observing the jet ( 16 ) with a resolution at least equal to 0.5 mm, P being, to within a constant value P 0 , the average of the distribution of the luminance of the jet ( 16 ) along a geometrical line ( 154 ) transverse to the jet ( 16 ), in order to regulate the level of cracks of the coating ( 22 ).