A thermal spray mindset

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As I was having a sesame bagel breakfast, I was looking out of the window this mid-morning as the sun was beating down hard and it was hazy, hot and humid; as I gazed at the mighty old oak trees, I thought to myself "the profile of these tree tops is almost like the profile of a thermal spray coating". I am sure many of you have looked at many a photograph of thermal sprayed coatings and how their profiles especially YSZ thermal sprayed coatings look in profile. A glance on to my sesame bagel seemed like porosity and pull out in a badly polished thermal spray coating sample coupon That scene and the thought is what gave me the inspiration to write this post on developing a thermal spray mind set. A true thermal spray engineer needs to have a bond, no pun intended, with thermal spray coatings, thermal spray engineering and flame spray products to the extent that he “sees” thermal spray everywhere he looks. This may sound like words coming from the vocal chords of an ancient Indian sage or a Chinese philosopher, but in all reality, it is the incessant thinking of one’s work that produces great results. I remember years ago, when I was a second year mechanical engineering student and I was persistently reading a book on metal castings and foundry technology during my summer vacation, my mom came up to me and asked me why I was pouring my head into a book on metallurgy and that too during my summer vacation; to that I replied enthusiastically, “I see the beauty of nature when I see these beautiful nodules in grey iron castings pictures” and my mom not being able to feel the depth of what I was saying, simply shook her head and walked away. When you cut grass think of where all thermal spray coatings could be applied in the lawn mower; when you are at an antique tractor show think of thermal spray applications. Think of ways and means to improve the deposit efficiency in your processes at the shop or how you could save money by making a better thermal spray tooling for that pain in the neck high volume job that you won because you low-balled your competitors ( lets face it - you could say you were desperate and desperate times needed desperate measures and so you had to get that order ). If you are a thermal spray quality control manager, think of the status of your operator qualifications, your SPC charting data and the like, whether you are walking around in an air conditioned mall or playing a round of golf in a hot sunny afternoon like today is. If you are a thermal spray expert in a college or university, think of how your research can fulfil the insatiable needs of industry, because believe me the thermal spray industry could certainly use your brains and the years of research that you may have conducted. After all it is this commitment to your task that will take you places you have never been before and let you accomplish things you never dreamt of before.

Time and again, I come across thermal spray engineering people, some of whom have worked at their companies for over ten years and keep staring at the clock to see if it is time to go home to their loved ones. What a pitiful sight that is. Now, there is nothing wrong in having a great family and a group of great friends, but work needs to stay with you as tight as plasma stays in your blood. Whether you are at work or at play, work is as important as your heartbeat. You may go to sleep at night, but that good old heart never rests and quietly beats away. Thermal spray engineering is no different. It needs to become a part of your living psyche. If all you think about is what time of the day you could get the hell out of your workplace, remember those beautiful thermal spray guns and powders and wires are all shedding a tear for not being loved enough. Show them also the love they deserve; after all they are the ones providing you with the income that allows you to take care of your family. Develop a thermal spray mind set and love your field because it loves you dearly.