Wire arc spraying is a well known thermal spray process. The advantages of this process are low running costs, high spray rate and a high efficiency. In contrast to other thermal spray processes, the lower particle velocity is one major disadvantage.

An option to enhance the coating and process quality is given by the control of droplet formation, particularly with regard to atomizing and flow of the material. By modeling the arc spraying process, the influence of process variations can be determined, which allows to modify the process with minor experimental effort.

In this paper results of modeling the arc spraying are presented with consideration of the gas flow, particle melting and delamination. Simulation studies show the influence of atomizing nozzle geometry, current voltage characteristics of the arc and atomizing gas pressure on the particle flow. A comparison with the experimental studies confirms the simulation results.