The Process of Exhaust Ceramic Coating Explained
Zircotec’s proprietary plasma-applied ceramic coating is used across various industries, in particular Automotive OEMs & Motorsports.
To achieve best-in-class, functional finishes for these demanding sectors, highly detailed and sophisticated processes are employed. Below is a summary of the processes your parts go through when being coated.
Masking
Prior to any surface treatment, areas that do not require any coating/treatment will be masked. The masking processes will protect surfaces such as threads, mating faces, slip joints, etc. to prevent any undesired coating deposition. This process involves highly detailed and manual work carried out by our expert technicians. Ensuring you receive clean and accurately defined and coating edges
Surface Preparation
To ensure a strong bond and deposition of the coating as well as proper adhesion, the component then undergoes media blasting. Media blasting removes any contaminants on the surface of the part, cleaning off any dirt, grease, oil ,rust, scale, and other surface imperfections. This part of the process is vital in providing the desired surface profile to enhancing the adhesion of our ceramic coatings. Quality surface-prep ensures long-lasting adhesion and coating performance.
Ceramic Coating
To further prepare the surface for ceramic deposition, a thin layer of bond coat is firstly applied onto the substrate, serving as an intermediary layer between the substrate and the ceramic coating. This layer helps facilitate for better adhesion as it helps overcomes the differences in composition, thermal expansion coefficients, etc. making it a more durable bond. The ceramic layer is then deposited in powder form. This is achieved by melting the ceramic particles, propelling them towards the substrate (bond coat) using a plasma flame that can reach temperatures of up to 10,000°C. During this process, the molten ceramic particles flatten and quickly solidify, forming a durable layer of ceramic coating that is firmly attached to the substrate. The desired top colour finish is then applied onto the part, which, in this case is Primary Black™.
Oven Curing
Once the ceramic coating is deposited, the components are transferred to our industrial oven to be cured. During this stage, the coating is set by undergoing an 8-hour curing cycle to ensure completion of the fusing/bonding onto the substrate.
We’d be more than happy to answer all your questions about our processes, and how our proprietary coatings offer such durable properties to withstand the extreme thermal cycles when the parts are in use. Contact us to find out more about our ceramic coating processes and how it can help your car/bike perform better!