Due to the toxicity associated with chromium electrodeposition, alternatives to that process are highly sought after. One of those potential alternatives is High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF). In this work, a HVOF installation is compared with chromium electrodeposition from environmental and economic points of view by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) for the evaluation. Costs and environmental impacts per piece coated are then evaluated. On an economic side, the lower labor requirements of HVOF allow one to noticeably reduce the costs (20.9% reduction) per functional unit (F.U.). Furthermore, on an environmental side, HVOF has a lower impact for the toxicity compared to electrodeposition, even if the results are a bit more mixed in other impact categories.

Temperature sensors are critical components in many industrial and research applications, particularly in harsh environments where high temperatures, corrosion and mechanical stress are prevalent. In this paper, we investigate the use of plasma spray technique as a versatile and simple method to print multipoint thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) based on NiCr-NiAl coatings on steel and ceramic substrates using stencil masking and laser scribing. The thickness of alumina the dielectric layer was optimized using metal-insulator-metal test. The thermoelectric properties of the printed thermocouples were investigated up to 1000 °C. The thermal independency of printed thermocouples and the capability of multilocation measurement at the surface on the same substrate was demonstrated. The thermoelectric properties of the printed RTD were investigated up to 850 °C. The electrical resistance of the RTD sensor is linear with the temperature variation from room temperature to 500 °C. The oxidation effect of the printed sensor metallic layers at high temperature was investigated and discussed.

This paper provides an overview of the development of a 3D formed and metal-based facade element that combines a custom design and solar thermal functionality. To achieve this, a novel simplified solar thermal collector structure was developed using formed sheet metal half-shells with an integrated channel structure on the inside and a special absorber coating on the outside. The sheet metal half-shells were manufactured by highly innovative incremental sheet forming (ISF), which allows seamless integration into existing facades. As a part of this paper, the initial test results on thermal efficiency and the energy accumulation of the new collector type are presented.