Long-lasting, wear- and corrosion-resistant products & parts are the objective of most manufacturers today. But high performance often means the use of advanced processing materials, such as ceramics. In this environment, many OEMs turn to Longevity Coatings, Pennsylvania-based developer & applicator of thermal spray coatings. One of the most useful thermal spray coating processes employed by Longevity Coatings (www.longevitycoatings.com) is the plasma non-transferred arc method. In this process, a micron-grade coating stock is fed into an ionized gas stream, where it is melted and propelled to the work piece. The intense temperature capability of plasma coating systems makes it well suited for the application of higher melting point materials, such as ceramic coatings. The process brings out the most useful properties of ceramics, including very high hardness and wear resistance, excellent thermal shock resistance, high temperature stability and corrosion resistance.