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EDITORIAL
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TSS
A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | A P R I L 2 0 1 6
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iTSSe
TSS
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s we approach what promises to be a truly
fabulous event in Shanghai, I have enjoyed
looking back over the past decade at what
has transpired within our thermal spray communi-
ty and at my place in this community. I joined ASM’s
Thermal Spray Society (TSS) in 2003. Coming from
the services industry, I found a fascinating niche
working with other experts to establish best prac-
tices for the metallographic characterization of ther-
mal spray coatings. Being a part of TSS has been an
outstanding experience and I look forward to assuming the
role of president of this society later this year.
I made my first trip to China in 2007 to be a part of the
ITSC event held in Beijing that year. I had many wonderful ex-
periences ranging from walking the Great Wall to witnessing
the construction of the various Olympic venues to teaching a
thermal spray characterization class, which included students
from Europe, Asia, and North America. Of course, the ITSC
event itself was a tremendous success and served as a fantas-
tic venue tobring together thermal spray experts in this rapidly
emerging market.
Much like China, thermal spray has evolved from being
viewed as “emerging” to now being considered quite well es-
tablished. Thermal spray continues to find new applications
A WORLD OF THERMAL SPRAY
Puerta
not only in traditional markets such as aerospace and
industrial, but also in areas such as medical, oil & gas,
and power generation. Thermal spray derivatives,
such as cold spray and suspension thermal spray,
are now being used in remarkable new applications
including additive manufacturing of highly complex
components. Suppliers to the thermal spray industry
continue to develop new, highly engineered coatings,
spray equipment, monitoring solutions, and charac-
terization tools.
As we return to China this year, I not only look forward
to enjoying the contrast in the development of this country,
but also in the developments within the thermal spray indus-
try. ITSC continues to provide the ideal venue for professional
networking and exchange as well as for demonstration of the
latest technologies that will fuel the continued growth of this
industry. Looking back over the past decade, I’m excited to see
which developments will be driving our growth over the next
10 years.
I hope to see you all in Shanghai!
Sincerely,
Doug Puerta
Director, Aerospace Product Qualification Testing
Element Materials Technology