The Aerospace Industry

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Aerospace & Aviation Coatings — Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond for FlightCritical Reliability

In aviation, precision and reliability are the rule—not the exception. Components see cyclic loads, vibration, thermal swings, dust/moisture exposure, hydraulic fluids, and boundary lubrication. Metal Diamond’s Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond (ENND) is engineered for these realities, providing a chromefree, wearresistant, lowfriction, and corrosiontough thin film that helps extend service intervals, support maintainability, and control lifecycle cost across commercial, business, rotorcraft, UAV/eVTOL, and space adjacent assemblies.

We deliver through a partnerled model: licensed or joint venture coating providers we train, supply, and certify. That gives OEMs, Tier1/Tier2 suppliers, MROs, and operators standardized quality inregion, with line setup, process control, and assured materials supply.

What Is Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond—and Why It Fits Aviation

Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond is a NiP nanocomposite in which nanoscale diamond particles codeposit within an electroless nickel–phosphorus matrix. The autocatalytic process lays down uniform, conformal coverage on complex geometries—internal diameters, splines, threads, bores, blade profiles, valve trims, piston rods, cylinder liners, and lightweight housings—often without postgrinding, and with tight control of thickness for clearancecritical parts.

Unlike line‑of‑sight methods, the electroless route produces uniform, conformal coverage on complex geometries—including internal diameters, threads, plunging faces, impeller blades, and valve trims—often without post‑grinding.

Outcome (Tier D/C language): Engineered to help reduce wear and galling, stabilize fit/finish over service intervals, and support maintainability. Lab/rig testing can be aligned to customer methods and environmental conditions.

Mechanisms that matter in flight hardware:

Antiploughing hardness helps resist abrasive microcutting from dust and particulate ingestion.
Low friction / antigalling supports smoother sliding/rotational interfaces under boundary lubrication (actuators, pins, bushings, latches).
Corrosion management via NiP chemistry engineered for humidity cycling, condensation, and a broad range of aviation fluids.
Uniform thin film: typical ~7–50 μm (applicationspecific) helps maintain precision fits.
Chromefree pathway: a modern hard chrome replacement coating option in many aerospace applications.

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Where Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond Adds Immediate Value in Aerospace & Aviation

Domain	Priority Components / Surfaces	Common Stressors	Why Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond	Operational Impact
Landing Gear	Shock strut piston rods, axle interfaces, trunnions, bushings, door mechanisms	Boundary lubrication, corrosion, fretting, cyclic loads	Low friction, anti-galling, uniform thin film on rods/liners	Supports smooth actuation, reduced galling, predictable overhaul intervals
Actuation & Hydraulics	Actuator rods, hydraulic cylinder liners, valve spools/trims, servo components	Wear in sliding contact, fluid exposure, tight tolerances	Conformal coatings on ID/OD; corrosion-tough NiP; low friction	Helps maintain clearances, supports sealing integrity, cleaner disassembly
Propulsion Adjacent (non-hot-section)	Gearbox shafts/liners, housings, ancillary brackets	Vibration, particulate ingress, lubrication variability	Thin, hard, low-friction protective film	Designed to reduce interface wear and aid serviceability
Airframe & Interiors	Hinges, latches, seat mechanisms, sensor housings, fasteners	Moisture, condensation, micro-fretting	Uniform, corrosion-tough thin films on complex geometry	Supports smooth motion, cosmetic integrity, and reliable function
UAV/eVTOL	Rotor shafts & hubs, gears, lightweight housings	Dust, vibration, intermittent lubrication, mass constraints	Thin, uniform protective film; low friction	Helps stabilize performance with minimal weight penalty

Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond vs Hard Chrome in Landing Gear & Actuation

Hard chrome is entrenched in landing gear and rod applications—but environmental, EHS, and fit/finish considerations are driving the search for chromefree alternatives. Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond offers:

Chromefree pathway aligned with modern EHS expectations.
Uniform, conformal coverage on ID/OD, threads, and complex profiles—beneficial where lineofsight processes struggle.
Low friction / antigalling behavior for boundarylubricated and highload interfaces.
Repeatable thin films engineered to preserve clearances and surface finish for sealing.

Comparison Snapshot (Guidance)

Criterion	Hard Chrome	Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond
Chemistry	Cr(VI) based	NiP matrix with nanodiamond (chrome-free)
Geometry Coverage	Line-of-sight	Conformal, uniform on complex shapes
Friction/Anti-Galling	Good, application-dependent	Designed low friction; strong anti-galling behavior
Thin Film Control	Good	Excellent at ~7–50 μm, application-tuned
Environmental Posture	Regulated, tightening	Chrome-free alternative in many use cases

Engineering note: Feasibility, thickness, and finishing steps are applicationspecific; qualification follows customer standards and test methods.

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Design for Coating (DFC) & Engineering Considerations

Thickness targeting: typical ~7–50 μm; coengineered to maintain tolerances and sealing performance.
Surface preparation: substrate, base roughness, masking, and edge features defined during DFC.
Fluid compatibility: designed for a broad range of aviation fluids; confirm compatibility in your test regime.
Galvanic context: in mixedmetal stacks, stackup and isolation are considered during DFC.
Finishing: many parts require minimal postprocessing; finishing steps (if any) are specified jointly.
Inspection & traceability: QA plans include thickness verification, adhesion checks, and documentation aligned to customer process control.

Proof of Concept Path for OEMs, Tier Suppliers, MROs & Operators

Step 1 — Requirements & DFC

We review drawings, substrates, mission profile, environmental exposures, fit/finish constraints, and target service intervals.

Step 2 — Pilot Batch & Bench Alignment

We coat a pilot batch—e.g., actuator rods, cylinder liners, bushings, housings, hinges/latches—and align bench tests to your methods (abrasion/erosion, fluid exposure, humidity cycling, dimensional checks).

Step 3 — Controlled In-Service Trial

Track cycles, inspection findings, clearances, surface condition post-run, and maintenance work orders.

Step 4 — Standardize & Scale

Approve an Electroless Nickel NanoDiamond specification per component family and scale through local certified Partners to match program cadence and MRO timelines.

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Metal Diamond does not operate local shops. We enable qualified aerospace suppliers, MRO networks, and precision fabricators via licensing or JV.

What Partners Receive:

Territory rights with performance criteria
Exclusive materials supply (nanodiamond additives, electroless nickel chemistries)
Coating line design, installation & commissioning (typ. 3–6 months to readiness)
Training & certification (operators, QA, safety) and periodic audits
Sales enablement: aerospace playbooks (landing gear, actuation, UAV), ROI tools, proposal kits
Ongoing R&D updates and process optimization

Partner Application

Implementation FAQs (Aerospace & Aviation)

In many applications, yes. It provides a chrome-free, wear-resistant, low-friction thin film with conformal coverage. Final feasibility and finishing steps are spec-driven and application-specific.

We target ~7–50 μm, co-designing to maintain clearances, surface finish, and seal performance.

We align bench tests to your methods (abrasion/erosion, humidity/condensation cycling, fluid exposure) and then run controlled in-service trials before standardization.

Yes. Electroless deposition is conformal and uniform on ID/OD, threads, splines, bores, and complex profiles.

With our line setup & commissioning, most partners reach readiness in 3–6 months, subject to scope and approvals.

Metal Diamond is the exclusive supplier to certified Partners under long-term agreements.

Through SOPs, operator/QA certification, audits, and optional digital QA dashboards for process monitoring and benchmarking.