Combustion Wire systems are the oldest form of a thermal spray application device. The basic principle of operation is that the system uses Oxygen and a fuel gas (such as acetylene, propane, mapp or natural gas) to create the heat necessary to melt the wire that is the feed stock material.

The wire is normally held on a separate wire holder and is on a spool or coil. It is fed through the gun by a air or electric powered drive mechanism and the oxygen and fuel gas are combined and ignited to form a heating zone that is used to melt the wire and with the use a confined stream of compressed air the molten droplets are propelled to the substrate.

The working temperature of the heating zone is 4600-4800 degrees F. and the velocity of the particles is about 800 feet per second.