Hardide Coatings receives grants for two aerospace-related projects

Hardide Coatings has received funding from the UK’s National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) to advance two of its projects developing coating technology for aircraft.

As part of the first project, Hardide Coatings intends to develop a grinding and super-finish technology for the Hardide-A coating, which is a direct replacement of hard chrome plating (HCP).

For this project, Hardide Coatings has received support from Airbus, Perfect Bore Manufacturing and Engis (UK).

The second project involves the development of a processing technique for an ultra-low temperature coating that will increase the range of aerospace substrate materials required by the Hardide coating process.

Perfect Bore Manufacturing and Westmoreland Laboratories are support partners, and Airbus and Leonardo Helicopters are the end-users of this project.

Scheduled to begin next month, each of the projects are expected to be completed over an 18 month period.

The NATEP is a £14.4m initiative that is designed to mature 40 aerospace technologies in the UK aerospace supply chain.

Hardide Coatings CEO Philip Kirkham said: “These grant awards were made after a rigorous application process and we will be working closely on the projects with our end-user customers.

“Both projects have the potential to expand significantly Hardide Coatings’ aerospace business, widening the range of aircraft components and substrate materials suitable for our coating technology.”

Hardide Coatings is primarily engaged in the development and production of advanced tungsten carbide coatings for use in various engineering components.

The company’s aerospace customers include Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. It also serves several companies operating in the fields of oil and gas exploration and production, valve and pump manufacturing and precision engineering industries.