Welcome to the Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies
The Centre for Advanced Coating Technologies (CACT) was established in 1998
as a collaborative effort by researchers from the departments of mechanical engineering
and materials science, dedicated to both fundamental and applied research in the area of
industrial coatings application. It is now in its ninth year of operation, with approximately
40 researchers, including professors from both departments, research staff members and
graduate students. CACT conducts fundamental research, both analytical and experimental, in the area of thermal spray coating.
CACT works closely with industries, other universities and research institutions such as GE Global Research (Niskayuna, NY, USA), BMW USA, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Sulzer Metco, VacAero International, GE R&D, Inco, TeckCominco, Hydro Quebec, NRC-Industrial Materials Institute, and the University of Tokyo. CACT receives funding from government funding agencies such as
Ontario Centre of Excellence, Materials and Manufacturing Ontario, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of Canada, The Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Innovation
Trust, Auto21 and several Canadian and international companies such.
Over the last few years CACT has completed its move into new, state-of-the-art
laboratory facilities in the Bahen Centre. It now possesses most standard thermal spray
application systems such atmospheric plasma spray (APS), high velocity oxy-fuel spray
(HVOF), wire-arc spray, and radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma (RF-ICP). In
2004 a unique new Vacuum Plasma Spray Forming (VPSF) system has been installed,
which allows the temperature of the part being sprayed to be controlled accurately, so as
to minimize thermal stresses. CACT has an extensive range of process diagnostic and
coating characterization equipment.
CACT trains graduate students who are in demand in both academia and industry.
