Industrial and Research Activities in Thermal Spray Technology in the Nordic Region of Europe

Thermal spraying is used widely in many industrial sectors in the Nordic Countries. Important application areas are petroleum, paper, metals, transport, defence and high-tech machinery. In Finland thermal spray technology has wide areas of application in the pulp and paper industries. In Sweden, thermal spray technology is of great importance in the manufacture of aero engines and in industrial gas turbine applications. In Norway thermal spraying is widely used in various offshore applications, including subsea oil drilling enterprises. Development and innovation in thermal spray technology in the Nordic countries is dominated by research conducted in Finland and Sweden, followed by Denmark and Norway. In particular, research groups from Sweden and Finland, have routinely presented research results at international conferences and in international journals. Some general information about each country, together with a description of industries using thermal spray applications, current research, education and other activities is provided. Although the information presented cannot be regarded as exhaustive, it provides a good overall picture of thermal spraying in the Nordic Countries and its relative importance in each country.