McLAUGHLIN & ASSOCIATES THERMAL SPRAYSPECIALISTS

A TRUSTED PROVIDER OF THERMAL SPRAY PRODUCTS AND MORE!

If you need it for your Thermal Spray Coating business, we’ve got it.

For more than a decade McLaughlin & Associates has provided quality products and services for all aspects of the thermal spray coatings industry.

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About

The McLaughlin Thermal Spray Story

McLaughlin & Associates Thermal Spray, Inc. was founded and incorporated in Naperville, Illinois, in January 2008.

We offer a variety of new and preowned thermal spray products and offer value-added services and expertise. M&A has experience in assisting thermal spray shops across a wide variety of industrial markets, including aircraft, oil and gas exploration/production, mining, agriculture, automotive, heavy equipment, tube & pipe producing, CPI, food and beverage, primary metals, printing, and electronics. We work with thermal spray businesses throughout North America.

In 2016 the business was relocated to Central Indiana to better serve our client base. With a more centrally located headquarters, we’re better suited to serve our customers and suppliers.

Although we have changed locations, our commitment to helping our customers hasn’t changed, it’s only gotten stronger. At McLaughlin & Associates, we provide everything from fully integrated, automated robotic systems down to the smallest spare replacement parts. No job is too small or too big.

We’re proud to say we can assist with traditional processes such as plasma arc spray, HVOF and twin wire arc or new technology and processes including HVAF (high-velocity air fueled) and Cold Spray. We also specialize in laser cladding, heat treating, and welding.

The mission of M&A is to help our customers succeed in their businesses by providing technical assistance and products that offer a distinct performance advantage and exceptional value.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND McLAUGHLIN

Meet the Team

McLaughlin & Associates would be nothing without strong leadership, knowledgeable team members and a commitment to the business. We each have a deep passion for thermal spraying, plenty of experience, and are well equipped to partner with you.

CO-OWNER

Jim Kennedy

Jim Kennedy is the co-owner of McLaughlin & Associates Thermal Spray Specialists, where he leads with a commitment to precision, professionalism, and strategic growth.

With a strong background in expanding service offerings, Jim plays a pivotal role in positioning the company as a versatile and reliable partner in the industry. Known for his exceptional communication skills and proactive leadership, he excels at building lasting professional relationships and anticipating client needs.

He works closely with his business partner, Brandon Fouch, whose machining and fabrication experience complements their shared vision for innovation and collaboration. In 2024, Jim and Brandon acquired McLaughlin & Associates and are driving its evolution into a full-service solution provider.

Career Highlights

Operations Manager: Led the launch and development of a thermal spray and industrial coatings division over 11 years.
FAA-Certified Repair Station Manager: Oversaw operations for 16 years, specializing in advanced coating applications for aviation components and ground-based turbines.
Industrial Fan Manufacturing Manager: Directed production and operations for custom fan solutions.

Jim has co-authored two industry articles focused on thermal spray applications and sustainability initiatives within the pump repair sector. Outside of work, he enjoys playing in a band, camping and motorcycle riding.

OFFICE MANAGER

Ashley Eddelman

Ashley started her administrative career in 2008 and found her niche in the thermal spray and industrial coatings industry in 2014. She began as an office assistant at a family-owned shop, working under Jim, and progressed to Administrative Coordinator while gaining hands-on experience and a deep understanding of the industry.

In December 2021, Ashley joined McLaughlin & Associates Thermal Spray as Sales Specialist and Office Manager. She helps keep the operation running smoothly, from quotes and orders to delivery coordination and customer communication.

She is passionate about simplifying the customer experience and making sure every client feels informed, supported and genuinely cared for. Her work also supports sales growth, sustainability efforts and marketing strategy.

Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family, fishing, music, tattoos and relaxing vacations down South.

MISSION

Deliver excellence in thermal spray technology.

We extend component life and enhance performance by supplying high-quality systems, booth and safety solutions, consumables and expert consulting that help clients reduce downtime, lower operating costs and achieve dependable results.

VISION

Become the preferred thermal spray partner throughout Indiana, the Midwest and beyond.

We combine cutting-edge technology with sustainable, safe practices to deliver superior performance while protecting people and the environment.

It’s our mission to assist our customers in success. That means providing technical assistance and training to give you an advantage over competitors, plus the knowledge and know-how to operate with expertise and safety.

Our Current Offerings

Got a new coating request from a customer? We can help engineer the right coating material, coating process, and spray parameters to make your customers satisfied. We can recommend coating thickness and draw on our experience to develop brand new and legacy products. Does the coating application require OEM approved powder? We can help. Contact us to discuss.

M&A offers half-day seminars for new and experienced coating shop sales engineers/reps. Participants learn to select the right coating material (wire or powder). We coach the reps on how to ask questions to customers to dial in the solution that benefits both the customer and your coating shop. We teach your sales team:

Where to prospect
Pre-call prep, intelligence gathering
What questions to ask in the sales call so you can pick the right coating
When to avoid offering coatings (when coatings won't work)
Building value in coatings
What to look for during a shop tour
Getting to "Yes" fast
And much more!

Looking at a new application for a new customer? Will it require a capital investment? Is it worth it? We can help calculate payback time and Return on Investment (ROI) so that you can make decisions based on data and facts. Not all RFQ’s are financially beneficial to your company. We can help you decide which ones are winners.

We offer gas panel and coating spray system calibration with our experienced thermal spray technicians and certify to OEM specifications. HVOF, Plasma arc spray, powder feeders. Mass flow and critical-orifice plasma systems. Praxair Tafa, Oerlikon Metco, Thermach, FST and more. JP-5000, JP-8000, 3MB, 9MB, SG-100, AT-400, Jetkote, Diamond Jet 2700 and more. Don’t see your system listed? Give us a call to see if we can calibrate your spray system.

Calibration services include safety inspections and a detailed calibration report. Annual calibrations, whether required by customers or not, are just good business. A properly calibrated thermal spray system will waste less powder, gas, and fuel, putting $$ to your shop’s bottom line.

M&A can help design spray booth exhaust systems, including the exhaust plenum, dust collector, and ductwork. Need to add a dust collector and not sure how to size the collector? We can help. We can advise on the best practices and safety systems recommended by the Thermal Spray Society.

Not only is proper exhaust ventilation important to worker safety and health, but it can also affect coating quality and result in rework and customer complaints. It is important to follow local EPA regulations and safety codes.

Learn more about designing a dust collection system in this article by Scott McLaughlin for The Tube & Pipe Journal.

A customer brings you a new part that needs to be coated. Which spray process will be the best for efficiency, cost and will best meet your customer’s goals? Customers often ask, “What is the best coating process?” The answer is, “it depends.” HVOF is best in many cases, but often it is overkill. Twin wire arc is extremely versatile but won’t hold up in some environments, like where the coating is exposed to high concentration acids or caustics.

For instance, is Inconel 625 or Hastelloy C-276 the better choice? Again, it depends. It depends on the pH of the corrosive agent to which the coating will be exposed. Inconel is better in high pH environments, and Hastelloy is better in extreme low pH environments.

Is 420 stainless steel or 300 series stainless steel better? Which tungsten carbide (WC) powder coating material is best? Can I apply WC with plasma and HVOF? Give us a call, and we can help you navigate the best options.

Don’t see exactly what you need? Just ask - we can tailor training sessions to meet your needs.

Built by a Team. Backed by Experience.

Finding and keeping skilled talent is one of the biggest challenges thermal spray shops face today.

At McLaughlin Thermal Spray Specialists, you don’t just get a service provider — you get a team of specialists. We are at the center of the industry, and our mission is to provide, teach, and connect you with the right solution to keep your operation growing.

MEET OUR TEAM

Gas Panel
Calibration

When was the last time you had your gas panels or powder dispenser calibrated? If it has been over a year ago, you may be wasting productivity, fuel, carrier gases, and powders.

Easily forgotten, but with some powders tipping the scale at $50 plus per pound, calibrating your equipment could mean big savings in as little as one month. Let one of our certified technicians visit to calibrate your spray systems to OEM specs. Request info now.

Laser Cladding, Heat Treating and Welding

Stay ahead of competitors with the latest trends, services, and offerings.

Laser cladding is part of the growing field of repair, salvage, and remanufacturing sweeping the industrialized world. Extend the life of your products - and save employee work time by repairing, remanufacturing, and refurbishing components in the steel, pump, wastewater, chemicals, and plastics industries. Don't just make it like new; make it better than new!

Unlike thermal spray coatings, laser cladding has a welded bond. Laser clad overlays are much more robust and durable than thermal spray coatings. Typical thickness of laser cladding overlays are 0.030" thick, and up to 0.080" thick can be applied in a single pass.

Laser cladding is popular in agriculture, off-road vehicles, chemicals and plastics, pump repair, and more. Laser clad overlays are 100% homogeneous, with no porosity. So their chemical and corrosion resistance is far superior to thermal spray applied overlays. Whereas thermal spray coatings are not viable for soil contact, laser clad overlays can stand dynamic impact from rocks and other hard elements in soil.

Thermal Spray Equipment

Thermal Spray Equipment Options from McLaughlin Include:

Grit blast systems
Dust collectors (new and used/refurbished)
Spray booths
Acoustic enclosures
Exhaust plenums
Handling equipment, including spray lathes, turntables, and robots

We also offer custom-built, to your specifications, a wide variety of handling equipment. Turn tables (tilting and non-tilting), spray lathes, X-Y horizontal vertical traverse devices, and robots. We can help you design custom exhaust plenums and have several standard models to choose from.

View more information about thermal spray equipment by clicking one of the categories below.

McLaughlin Thermal Spray now offers custom made Remet Spray Boxes for weld seam remetallization on Tube Mills running galvanized (galv) product.

Remet Spray Box Data Sheet

New and Refurbished Dust Collectors

Air filtration and dust collectors are imperative to the stringent safety requirements of thermal spray operations. Our collector systems are vetted with all safety features for manufacturing plants doing coating work. Keeping spray techs safe is the most important objective.

At McLaughlin & Associates, we take safety and production guidelines seriously. We follow the Thermal Spray Society criteria on each collector design for air to cloth ratio, linear airflow, and room turnover rates (CFM).

Choosing the correct product - whether a dust collector or other machine - can be daunting.

Our team is available for technical assistance and guidance from selection to employee operation.

All preowned collectors have been fully refurbished, cleaned, cycled, and tested before being released for resale. Six-month warranties are included on most preowned collectors. Typically, refurbished collectors are 40% less than new.

McLaughlin & Associates carries replacement dust cartridges for all brands of collectors. Camfil Farr, Donaldson Torit, MAC, UAS, Dust Hog, Wheelabrator, AAF, and many others. Replacement cartridges tend to last as long as OEM cartridges but are value priced for savings! The filter media is a nanofibre material with excellent moisture resistance and flame retardant rated as recommended by Thermal Spray Society guidelines.

Full System Integration Capabilities

Complete Your Needs with Full System Integration and Installation

Our expertise includes workpiece and robotic torch manipulation, along with HVOF, HVAF, plasma arc spray, combustion flame spray, cold spray, electric wire arc equipment, and systems. We also feature robot and turntable installation, programming, and integration. Plus, our gas panels are based on Mass Flow Control and telemetry, ensuring coating quality is consistent from hour one of spraying until the torch is replaced with a rebuilt unit. Also offering dust collection, spray booth/sound enclosure, and spray system including powder dispensers.

Working from home on a small scale or a DIY product? No matter the job level, we can provide technical assistance and individual components for any size or EAU production level. Process and application development, including coating device and material selection, are part of our technical assistance capabilities.

Grit and Shot Blast Equipment

Proper Prep Is Critical

Preparing parts for coating is probably the single most important step in the process of a high-quality, repeatable thermal spray coating. Failure to create a proper anchor profile, remove oxide layers and organics (grease, fingerprints and other oils) will result in a less than perfect bond which can lead to coating failure. Since thermal spray coatings have a mechanical bond, not a welded bond, with the part substrate, grit blast prep is key.

M&A has a variety of grit and shot blast equipment, cabinets and blast materials available. New, refurbished and used systems are typically part of our inventory. Give us a call to hear what refurbished and used equipment we have in inventory currently.

Further, we can recommend the right system and material for your customers’ parts at the most economical price point.

We Design & Build Grit Blast Systems

Do you have a high-volume project? We can help with automated part blasting, loading, and unloading. Our engineers love to design and build automation equipment and do so with total cost in mind.

We have a full line of both suction and pressure pot blast equipment and can recommend which is best suited to your needs. We have subject matter experts (SME’s) ready to diagnose your coating project and match quality and pricing targets.

We also have:

air blast and wheel blast equipment
brown fused alumina (BFA)
white grit aluminum oxide in a variety of grit sizes (mesh) in addition to steel and iron shot.

Most of these materials are in stock and can ship the next day. Our grit materials are high quality and competitively priced.

Sound Enclosure
Spray Booths

At McLaughlin & Associates, we offer top-of-the-line tools for your business. Featuring acoustic enclosures. Custom-made in the USA for your exact needs, our spray booth enclosures are guaranteed to reduce noise levels outside the booth to 85 dBA or less.

Our spray booths offer an array of different door and roof access options. L Shaped doors, acoustic roof slots, hinged roof trap doors, sliding roof doors, double leaf doors, single leaf man doors and more.

Custom exhaust plenums are also available. Don't know what you want for a plenum; we can help design a perfect match to optimize booth air flow and coating efficiency.

The thermal spray booth installed at the University of Wisconsin at Madison will be assisting researchers with their awarded fund work developing cold spray coating technology for military and commercial projects. The 10’x10’x8’ booth was the subject of an article in the third quarter 2011 SprayTime industry trade journal.

Standard delivery of a custom spray booth varies but we can typically beat the competition since all our components are made in the USA. Expedited deliveries available. For more on acoustic spray booths or a quote, please call us.

Complete Thermal Spray Systems

Streamline Your Entire Process

New and used
High Velocity Oxygen Fueled (HVOF)
- JP-5000
- Diamond Jet 2700
- Gas and liquid fueled
Twin wire arc (EAS)
Combustion, Flame Spray
- 5PII and 6PII equivalents
- 12E, 14E equivalents
High Velocity Air Fueled (HVAF)
Plasma Arc Spray
Powder feeders

Tube & Pipe Mill Weld Seam Remetallizing

Looking to add galvanized pipe to your product offerings? There’s no one better than an industry expert to set your business up to produce galvanized products. Our weld seam remetallizing equipment is specially designed to provide just enough zinc or aluminum spray to ensure adequate corrosion protection with the absolute minimum consumable costs.

Less cost per foot with no flaking or coating delamination.

McLaughlin & Associates offers electric wire arc and combustion flame spray systems. Not sure which is the best for you? We’re here to help; contact us to learn more.

A critical part of adding remet to your tube mill is fume and dust exhaust. Spraying zinc onto the weld seam on a tube mill creates hazardous fumes that are harmful to the mill operators. A spray box and fume exhaust system must be added to protect mill workers and keep them safe from fumes. We can help with the design of the box and specify the fume extraction device, also known as a dust collector, for your remet operation. For more on fume extraction/dust collectors in a tube mill remet operation, take a look at this article from the Fabricator about designing a dust collecting system.

Don’t know what to do with the overspray zinc dust from your tube mill? Recycle it! Zinc overspray dust from your remetallizing operation has a great deal of value. Send it to us, and we can pay for this material, and you won’t have to dispose of it as hazardous waste. Instead, we will turn it into products other manufacturing processes can use. You will get a certificate documenting that the zinc will be recycled and not end up in a landfill. Call or email us for details. Good for the Earth, Good for Business!

Grit Blast Materials

Consumables Contact Us

Blast and Shot Peen Materials

We carry brown fused alumina (BFA) and white grit aluminum oxide in a variety of grit sizes (mesh) in addition to steel and iron shot. Most of these materials are in stock and can ship next day. Our grit materials are high quality and competitively priced.

Virgin Aluminum Oxide
Virgin Glass Bead
Silicon Carbide
Garnet
Ceramic
Baking Soda
Plastic Media
Steel Shot and Grit
Stainless Shot and Grit
Custom Mixes
MIL Spec Certification

Masking Tapes for Plasma, EAS and HVOF

Thermal Spray Masking Products

We offer high quality thermal spray masking products for the thermal spray industry including:

thermal spray tapes
one step thermal spray masking compounds
custom made shielding material

We supply thermal spray and plasma spray masking products for any type of thermal spray application process including:

gasketing
grit blast
flame spray
gas fuel HVOF
liquid fuel HVOF
low velocity wire and powder applications
metalizing spray
polymer spraying
plasma spray coating
thermal spray masking
twin wire arc spray

Inquire today about our wide selection of thermal spray masking products.

Powder and Wire

Consumables Contact Us

We carry most thermal spray, laser cladding & 3D printing powders

Need a special blend or unique particle size? We can make it and provide it. We have tungsten carbides, chrome carbides and ceramics. Provide us with a Praxair, Tafa, or Oerlikon Metco product number and we can quote an equivalent powder material. You will like our prices even better than our service. Blanket orders, we love them. We'll stock your materials to help cushion against future price spikes due to supply chain disruptions so you never run out of powder and miss a delivery to one of your customers.

Thermal spray wire is available from Polymet Corporation. www.polymet.us. We are the sole representative for Polymet in the Great Lakes Region. Most common wire materials are stocked in Southwest Ohio and ship in 1-2 days from order receipt.

Both solid and cored wires are available.
1/16" and 1/8" od wires available.
Polymet is ISO 9001:2015 certified.
Polymet has OEM certifications for Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce.
Wire is packaged in 22, 25, 30 and 50 lb spools and coils.
Zinc is available in 500 lb drums. Aluminum is also available on 200 lb reels.

Used Thermal Spray Equipment

Products Limited Liability Statement

Cash In on High Quality,
Gently Used Equipment

McLaughlin & Associates is always focused on the success of your business. Sometimes that means investing in the newest products, but other times, previously owned items are the perfect fit for your needs.

Our team is always looking for quality used, pre-owned, and rebuilt machines and systems. We update this page regularly with those opportunities.

Need something not listed? Want to sell something? Give us a call. You never know when a great deal will become available, and our customers are always looking for a bargain.

Do you have an aged, out of date or broken-down piece of equipment or spray system?

We have trained technicians that can rebuild, refurbish or update it to OEM specifications. Our technicians are factory trained and use only the best replacement aftermarket or OEM parts.

Below are the types of equipment that we repair, rebuild, and refurbish:

Dust Collectors
Grit Blast Systems
Plasma Arc Spray Systems
Combustion Flame Spray System
Powder Feeders
Twin Wire Arc Spray Systems
Cylindrical Grinders

VIDEOS

See Thermal Spray in Action

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LET’S TALK

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McLAUGHLIN & ASSOCIATES THERMAL SPRAYSPECIALISTS

A TRUSTED PROVIDER OF THERMAL SPRAY PRODUCTS AND MORE!

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