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FAQ – Häuser & Co GmbH

Benefits, Service Life & Cost-Effectiveness

A coating is economically worthwhile whenever it reduces downtime, extends the service life of critical components and is more cost-effective overall than replacement or extensive welding work.

Typical situations in which a coating pays off include:

  • Recurring damage to the same components, such as tubes, membrane walls, sootblower lances or valves.
  • High plant downtime costs where every additional operating hour matters.
  • Expensive or difficult-to-source bespoke components that cannot simply be replaced with off-the-shelf parts.
  • Localised damage where the component itself still has sufficient remaining service life.
  • The ability to protect critical areas selectively, rather than replacing entire components.

A practical rule of thumb: the higher the downtime costs and the greater the effort required for replacement or welding work, the more likely a coating is to be the economically preferable option.

Find out how best to submit an enquiry on our Mechanical Engineering and Valve Components > page.

The cost of thermal spraying depends heavily on the following factors:

  • Component size and geometry, for example tubes, valves, membrane walls or shafts
  • Process used, such as plasma spraying, another thermal-spraying process or laser cladding
  • Coating material, for example nickel-based alloys, hardmetals or ceramic materials
  • Required coating thickness and layer structure
  • Quantity and production frequency, from one-off components to series production
  • In-house coating or on-site work, including additional logistics and set-up requirements

If you would like to know the cost of coating a specific component, please contact us. We will provide a transparent quotation. Find out how best to submit an enquiry on our Mechanical Engineering and Valve Components > page.

Service life depends strongly on operating conditions, but can be extended significantly in many cases. Compared with unprotected components, several times the original service life can often be achieved.

For a practical laser-cladding example, see our case study: Even after 12 years of service, the coating continues to protect the base material reliably against erosion >.

Depending on the material selected, our coatings provide:

  • Corrosion protection, for example against chlorine-induced high-temperature corrosion in waste-to-energy plants
  • Wear protection against abrasion and erosion, such as that caused by dust loads in flue gas
  • Protection against scaling in high-temperature areas

Typical applications include industrial tube coatings, membrane walls, superheaters, sootblower tubes, valves, shafts and other mechanical-engineering components.

Find out more about our processes under Coating Processes > or Industry Solutions >.

Industries, Applications & Components

Our component-coating and surface-engineering solutions are used wherever equipment is subjected to extreme conditions, including:

  • Waste-to-energy plants
  • Power stations, including fluidised-bed power plants
  • The chemical industry
  • The steel industry
  • Marine engineering
  • Bespoke components for a wide range of applications

See our Industry Solutions > for specific examples.

In these sectors, our component coatings provide reliable wear and corrosion protection while extending service life.

We coat and repair a wide range of industrial components, including:

  • Tubes, membrane walls, superheaters and other boiler components
  • Sootblower tubes and steam lances
  • Shafts, such as gearbox and propeller shafts, as well as rollers and bushes
  • Valves, stems, sealing faces and plate wedges
  • Heat exchangers, wall and roof penetrations, and reaction vessels

A wide range of examples can be found under Case Studies & News >. Whether you require a coating for a mechanical-engineering component, an industrial tube coating or the repair of an individual shaft, we assess every case individually.

Find out how best to submit an enquiry on our Mechanical Engineering and Valve Components > page.

No. Thanks to our many years of experience and specially developed application processes, we can apply thermally sprayed protective coatings not only to straight tubes but also to complex geometries. These include curved components such as superheater assemblies, evaporator assemblies and support tubes.

We will be pleased to advise you on the best way to implement a coating solution for your specific application.

Examples of coated complex components can be found in our Case Studies & News >.

Coating Processes & Technology

We work with a broad range of modern thermal-spraying processes:

  • Plasma spraying
  • Flame spraying, including high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying (HVOF)
  • Arc spraying
  • Laser cladding / laser spraying

This enables us to cover a wide range of metallic and surface-coating applications for industry—from conventional wear protection to high-temperature coatings for boiler and plant components.

Find out more under Coating Technologies >.

In plasma spraying, an inert gas — usually argon — is converted into a plasma state by means of an electric arc. The powdered coating material is melted in the plasma jet and propelled at high velocity onto the prepared surface.

A key advantage is that the hot plasma itself does not reach the component surface, so component temperature remains low. This allows even thin-walled tubes to be coated safely.

For detailed technical information on system configuration, process control and application limits, visit our Plasma Spraying > page.

Laser cladding is a process in which a powdered material—such as INCONEL™ 625 or 686—is melted by a laser beam and metallurgically bonded to the component surface.

Compared with conventional weld overlay, laser cladding offers:

  • Lower dilution with the base material
  • Highly homogeneous, clean coatings
  • Reduced coating thicknesses with the same protective effect
  • Less distortion due to lower heat input

For wear and corrosion protection on highly stressed components, laser cladding is therefore an economically and technically highly attractive alternative.

For a practical example, see our case study: Laser Cladding Saves Time and Costs in Plate-Wedge Refurbishment >.

Thermal spraying and laser cladding are especially advantageous where low heat input is required, component distortion must be avoided or specific coating properties are needed. Compared with weld overlay, these processes are faster and often more cost-effective for large-area applications.

Find out more under Coating Technologies >.

Materials, Coating Design & Quality

Depending on the application, we use a range of metallic and ceramic materials, including:

  • Nickel-based alloys such as INCONEL™ 625 and 686
  • HASTELLOY™ for chemically demanding environments
  • STELLITE™ 21 for heavily loaded sealing and sliding surfaces
  • Special materials developed in-house for superheater coatings

The appropriate coating material is always selected according to temperature, operating medium, mechanical load and the required service life.

Typical coating thicknesses range from several hundred micrometres to several millimetres, depending on the process used and the specific application.

A major advantage of thermal spraying and laser cladding is that the mechanical properties of the base material are fully retained. The tube therefore maintains its original pressure-bearing capacity and remains suitable for high internal operating pressures.

At the same time, the coating’s excellent corrosion- and wear-protection properties ensure a substantially extended service life, even under demanding operating conditions.

Yes. Boiler construction is subject to stringent quality and safety requirements. Coatings on pressure-bearing components require the appropriate procedure qualifications and supporting evidence.

For common base materials, our coatings have qualified procedure tests carried out in collaboration with TÜV, an independent German technical inspection authority, and are suitable for use on boiler components. A key advantage of our processes is that the low heat input does not adversely affect the base material.

Service, Delivery Options & Project Execution

Yes, in principle. However, in-house coating at our Duisburg facility is the preferred option because it enables us to work under optimum conditions.

In practice, components are often already severely damaged—for example by impermissibly reduced wall thicknesses, adherent deposits or embedded corrosive substances—meaning that a sustainable repair may no longer be technically or economically viable. In most cases, we therefore recommend coating new components, such as superheater tubes or evaporator assemblies, from the outset. This significantly extends service life and helps prevent unplanned failures.

There are, however, situations in which dismantling or transporting components is impossible or cannot be completed within the available timeframe. In such cases, we provide on-site coating services—for example on boilers, large plant components or in difficult-to-access areas. These repairs can be carried out on site, for instance during a shutdown.

With mobile equipment and experienced field teams, we can work flexibly in power stations, industrial plants and marine environments.

For an overview of in-house coating, on-site work and repair services, visit In-House – On Site – Repair >.

Yes. In the event of unplanned damage—for example to boiler walls, gearbox shafts or critical valves—we support our customers with short-notice repair measures. Our objective is always to return the plant to operational condition quickly, allowing time for a thorough root-cause analysis and the planning of a permanent solution.

In many cases, coating enables components to be refurbished so that costly replacement can be avoided or significantly deferred.

This advantage is particularly evident in dry dock. Worn or corroded propeller shafts, shaft seals and bearing components can be restored through targeted coatings to their original dimensions and quality—often in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of manufacturing new parts. The vessel returns to service sooner, while the shipowner achieves considerable savings.

For an overview of in-house coating, on-site work and repair services, visit In-House – On Site – Repair >.

Project duration depends heavily on the scope of work. Procurement of tubes and fabrication of components such as superheater assemblies or evaporators can take several weeks or months, depending on supply availability. Additional weeks should be allowed for in-house coating.

We therefore recommend discussing planned measures with us at an early stage to ensure optimum results and delivery on schedule.

For an overview of in-house coating, on-site work and repair services, visit In-House – On Site – Repair >.

We provide more than coating alone. On request, we can manage the complete delivery of repair and replacement projects.

Together with our qualified partners, we cover the full project scope:

  • Procurement of raw materials, such as boiler tubes
  • Fabrication, including tube bending and coating
  • Installation
  • Quality inspection and complete documentation

This gives you an integrated, single-source solution with clearly defined interfaces and high process reliability.

For efficient project execution, we rely on your support in providing drawings and technical documentation. These documents form the basis for precise planning and implementation.

For an overview of in-house coating, on-site work and repair services, visit In-House – On Site – Repair >.

Company & Key Differentiators

Häuser & Co is a Duisburg-based specialist in thermal spraying and industrial coatings. As an experienced provider of industrial coating services, we reliably protect industrial components—particularly in power stations, waste-to-energy plants and the chemical industry—against corrosion, abrasion and high-temperature wear.

Our objective is always to achieve a significant extension of service life and higher plant availability.

Find out more about our company and history under Company >.

The company was founded in 1995 and is now one of Germany’s most experienced providers of surface coatings using metallic and ceramic materials for a broad range of industrial applications.

Since then, Häuser & Co has continually developed its thermal-spraying expertise—from early applications in the steel industry to innovative solutions for power-generation technology. Since 2013, Häuser & Co has also employed laser cladding and has filed a patent application for coating membrane walls with nickel-based materials.

Find out more about our company and history under Company >.

We combine more than 30 years of thermal-spraying experience with in-house process development and proven practical solutions. These include:

  • Specialist expertise in the high-temperature environments of power stations and waste-to-energy plants
  • Innovative processes such as laser cladding, including patent-pending applications
  • A combination of in-house coating, on-site coating and emergency repairs

For many customers in North Rhine-Westphalia and throughout Germany, we are the partner of choice for cost-effective wear and corrosion protection of critical components.

Find out more about our company and history under Company >.