Experiential learning - creation and testing of sprayed coatings

Abstract

Engineering graduates’ generic high degree skills can be developed only by experiential learning. The main opportunity for acquiring these skills is the course work or final thesis. Coating the parts made by arc spray causes serious problems. The thermal arc sprayed coatings should have high tribological properties, hardness, Jung’s module, corrosion resistance and wear behaviour. Sprayed coating properties depend on wire materials and technological parameters. Analysis of coating properties data reveals to student the influence of technological parameters and the sort of spray materials on the properties of the coatings. It is possible for students to estimate the relationship between the spray parameters and coating properties, coating resistance to abrasion, corrosion, contamination by oxide inclusions, etc. This article focuses on work carried out by students during their Master degree studies. This experiential learning project has proved to be successful in its aims associated with practical skills and the use of modern technological equipment, and to bean effective motivator for research - based projects.