Over the last decade there has been an explosion in terms of available tools for sensing the particle spray stream during thermal spray processes.  This has led to considerable enhancement in our understanding of process reproducibility and process reliability.  However, inspite of these advances, the linkage to coating properties has continued to be an enigma.  This is partially due to the complex nature of the build-up process and the associated issues with measuring properties of these complex coatings.

In this paper, we present, an integrated strategy, one that combines process sensing, with process modeling and extracting coating properties in-situ through the development of advanced curvature based techniques.  This technique allows estimation of coating modulus, residual stress and non-linear stress-strain response of thermal sprayed ceramic coatings all within minutes of the deposition process. 

Finally, the integrated strategy examines the role of process maps for control of the spray stream as well as design of thermal spray coatings.  Examples of such studies for both MCrAlY and YSZ coatings will be presented.