Oerlikon Balzers, Switzerland, announces that it has received Qualified Supplier status from Airbus for its two customer centers in Great Britain and France for copper-alloy substrate coatings using Balinit C. Both locations are already certified as qualified suppliers of coatings on steel, titanium, and Inconel substrates.
Balinit C is a WC/C-based (tungsten carbide/carbon) coating that is a mixture of metal and diamond-like carbon. It reduces surface fatigue and tribo-oxidation on many aerospace components. Tribological coatings are mainly used to reduce adhesive wear that is associated with problems such as seizing or cold-welding. A low friction coefficient and good sliding properties make them ideal for low-lubrication and even dry-running applications.
The coating helps reduce surface fatigue and withstand wear and high loads when applied to aerospace components made of steel, titanium, and its various alloys. The coating is lightweight and exhibits low-friction. Its technical qualification as a non-hazardous and REACH-conforming option to hard chrome plating, completes the Airbus Industrial Qualification Process for both Oerlikon Balzers customer centers in Great Britain and France.
Oerlikon Balzers’ customer centers Milton Keynes (Great Britain), Ferrière-en-Brie (France), Guelph (Canada), and Niedercorn (Luxembourg) are all Nadcap-accredited and provide world-class coating solutions and services to the aerospace industry. Nadcap, National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program, is a worldwide industry-controlled global cooperation program, designed to achieve a cost-effective consensus approach to special processes and products and to provide continuous improvement within the aerospace industry.
