Rolls-Royce subsidiary, MTU, has started to use a new process to improve and speed up repairs on engines and large components. It’s known as low-pressure cold spraying and apparently it is a quick and cheap way of creating longer-lasting repairs for minor faults that would normally be difficult and expensive to resolve.
Currently, minor repairs are completed using epoxy resin adhesive or another agent, which becomes detached easily and often contains potentially damaging toxins.
The new process involves the affected area being cleaned and roughened by an abrasive, then a powder, consisting of ductile metals and an oxide ceramic, is sprayed into the surface damage. It forms a solid layer, which can then be gently machined into the desired shape with more spraying possible if needed. MTU’s early tests suggest that it offers a far longer-lasting solution to repairs as well.
The whole repair requires just the powders, one spray gun, power, compressed air and an extraction system. It all fits inside one case, which means engine and large component repairs could be done without needing to be moved or transported multiple times.
At this time, the cold-spray low-pressure method of repair is limited by the variety of areas that it can be applied to. However, as a new technique entering the market, it is conceivable that it could be significantly improved moving forward.
Source: Spray Repair Simplifies Engine Remanufacturing
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