Thermal Spray & Coating

HVOF & Thermal Spray Masking Shadow Tolerance Calculator

Model supersonic particle in-flight velocity ($v_p$), gun standoff distance ($L_{stand}$), plume divergence angle ($\theta_{div}$), shadow mask edge blur ($R_{blur}$), and chamfer relief angles for tungsten carbide and MCrAlY coatings.

1. Input Parameters

Thermal Spray Process:

Gun Standoff Distance $L_{stand}$ (mm):

Distance from the spray torch nozzle exit to the substrate.

Plume Divergence Half-Angle $\theta_{div}$ (deg):

Angular spread of the supersonic particle jet.

Mask-to-Substrate Standoff Gap $d_{mask}$ (mm):

Gap between the underside of the shadow mask and the target part.

Mask Plate Thickness $T_{mask}$ (mm):

Thickness of hardened steel / copper shadow mask plate.

Required Coating Buildup $h_{coat}$ (µm):

Finished nominal coating layer thickness.

2. Calculation Results

Mask Shadow Blur ($R_{blur}$)

0.00 mm

Rec. Mask Chamfer Angle ($\alpha$)

0.0°

Spot Diameter on Surface

0.0 mm

Edge Transition Quality

Sharp Edge (<0.15mm)

DXF Mask Inward Offset

0.00 mm

Estimated Robot Passes

0 Passes

3. Dynamic Visualizer & CAM Preview

4. Engineering Notes & Physics Specifications

HVOF Supersonic Particle Dynamics & Shadow Masking Geometry:

Shadow Blur Radius: Particles traveling at angle $\theta_{div}$ cast a penumbra under the mask edge: $R_{blur} = d_{mask} \cdot \tan(\theta_{div})$. To achieve aerospace sharp edge cutoffs, $d_{mask}$ must be clamped to $< 0.5\text{ mm}$.
Knife-Edge Mask Chamfer: Thick mask plates reflect supersonic shockwaves and cause heavy buildup ridges on mask edges. The outer edge must feature a $30^\circ - 45^\circ$ chamfer relief facing the oncoming jet: $\alpha_{chamfer} \ge 90^\circ - \theta_{div} - 15^\circ$.
CAM Offset Calibration: Because the coating profile tapers in the shadow zone, the vector mask boundary in DXF must be offset inward by $\Delta w = R_{blur} / 2$ to place the nominal thickness boundary at the true design datum.

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