Thermal spraying was invented by Swiss engineer Max Ulrich Schoop in 1909 when he discovered molten metals could be sprayed onto a surface using compressed air to form a protective coating. He came up with the idea after watching his children shoot lead bullets and seeing the splats when they hit the wall.
His early experiments laid the groundwork for modern thermal spray technology, which is now a widely used industrial process for protecting surfaces from wear, corrosion, and heat.
Why Was Thermal Spraying Groundbreaking?
Schoop’s invention gained attention because it offered a new way to repair worn components and protect surfaces without traditional casting or machining. By 1911, the first flame spray guns were in use, allowing metals to be melted with a flame and deposited onto a wide range of substrates, marking the beginning of thermal spraying as a practical industrial process.
Fast-forward over a century, and thermal sprays play an important role in industries such as aerospace, automotive manufacturing, energy, and heavy engineering. This technique is also widely available, with firms like poeton.co.uk/surface-treatments/thermal-metal-sprays/ offering thermal sprays for a variety of objects and sectors.
How Has Thermal Spraying Has Evolved Since Its Invention
Since its invention, thermal spraying has advanced significantly in its application. Over time, new methods such as plasma spraying, high-velocity oxy-fuel, and electric arc spraying were developed, expanding the range of materials that could be applied.
While the core principles remain the same as Schoop’s original idea, thermal sprays are now far more versatile and efficient and are used extensively in manufacturing and other industries across the world.
