Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies (CACT)

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
What the facility does

Development, modelling, deposition, and characterization of thermal spray coating and related processes, near-net shape manufacturing, surface engineering

Areas of expertise

The facilities at  the Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies include all major thermal spray deposition processes (including vacuum plasma spray capabilities), a state-of-the-art suite of process diagnostic tools (DPV2000, high-speed camera, high resolution infra-red camera), and a wide array of coating characterization facilities including SEM, surface roughness analysis, thermal conductivity measurement, and wear resistance testing. This experimental capacity is supported by strong analytical modelling and numerical simulation capabilities.

Research services

Air plasma spray coating, high velocity oxy-fuel coating, twin wire arc coating, vacuum plasma spray coating, microwave enhanced chemical vapour deposition coatings, radio frequency inductively coupled plasma, thermal conductivity measurements, pin-on-disc wear resistance measurements, sand erosion resistance measurements, composition depth profiles, surface roughness measurement, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, chemical analyses, adhesion testing, hardness testing, surface roughness, surface profilometry, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, computational fluid dynamics modelling, heat transfer modelling, heat transfer analysis, finite element analyses.

Sectors of application
  • Aerospace and satellites
  • Automotive
  • Chemical industries
  • Clean technology
  • Defence and security industries
  • Education
  • Energy (renewable and fossil)
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
  • Manufacturing and processing
  • Mining, minerals and metals
  • Transportation

Specialized lab

Equipment

Function

Thermal spray laboratory

Mettech Axial III, SG 100 plasma torches

Air plasma spray coating

 

Sulzer Metco F4 plasma torch

Vacuum plasma spray coating

 

Sulzer Metco Diamond Jet torch

High velocity oxy-fuel coating

 

Thermion Jet Force 456HD torch

Twin wire arc coating

 

DPV 2000

Thermal spray coating process diagnostics

 

SprayVIEW

Thermal spray coating process diagnostics

 

RF/DC arc hybrid torch

Plasma coating

Coating characterization laboratory

GDOES

Chemical composition analysis, depth profile

 

SEM/EDS

Microstructure characterization and composition analysis

 

Sectioning, grinding, and automated polishing facilities

Specimen preparation

 

Pin-on-disc, Abrasion (ASTM G-65) and Taber wear testers,

Wear resistance

 

Laser flash thermal diffusivity instrument, High speed infrared camera

Thermal conductivity measurement

 

Surface profilometer

Surface roughness measurements

  • Pratt & Whitney Canada
  • Plasco Energy Group Inc.
  • CenterLine Limited.
  • GE Global Research
  • BMW USA
  • VAC AERO International Inc.
  • University of Ottawa
  • Concordia University
  • The University of Tokyo
  • Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
  • Perkin-Elmer Inc.
  • Natural Resources Canada
  • Magna International Inc.
  • Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.
  • Aeropol Aviation Services Corp.