In a Q&A session, Oerlikon Balzers’ global market segment manager – aerospace, Toby Middlemiss assesses the trends and demands on his company in working within the challenging and ever-evolving aviation industry.

Advanced materials and coatings can make a real difference when it comes to an aerospace customer’s future requirements regarding efficiency and sustainable products. Thanks to its expertise in developing and processing surface solutions and advanced materials, Oerlikon says it is in a unique position to be able to benefit from this growing demand.

Q) What are the current surface technology challenges facing aerospace OEM manufacturers?

OEMs are asking more and more for one-stop shops, meaning they want conventional machining or additive manufacturing - and a coating supplier all in one. Oerlikon offers this with its Balzers, Metco (including Eldim) and AM divisions. We are expanding our surface finishing and coating portfolio to meet OEM customer requirements.

Q) And what are the demands from the OEMs placed on you in terms of providing solutions?

OEMs have high demands with regards to quality standards, regular customer audits on top of Nadcap and AS9100 mandatory standards. Corrosion and erosion are a big topic whether it is hot corrosion in the engine or galvanic corrosion on the airframe. In recent years, Oerlikon Balzers has developed many coating solutions in these fields, such as BALINIT TURBINE PRO against erosion and BALINIT PROTEC and BALORA coatings against corrosion.

Q) Tell me more about your production processes and any environmentally-friendly aspects?

Oerlikon Balzers’ BALINIT A, BALINIT C and BALINIT TURBINE PRO coatings are REACH-compliant and there is very little waste from our processes. We evaporate a very small amount of material which translates to very thin coatings but with some unbelievable performance characteristics, such as a 20µm coating having 40 times more erosion resistance from sand than a titanium alloy on its own with no coating; this also reduces CO₂ emissions.

Q) What parts of the aircraft are your solutions most suited to?

Our coatings are developed for tribological properties so they can be used in many areas of the aircraft where materials are required to interact. Oerlikon’s Balzers coatings extend the life of components and allow for more complex designs where a coating can achieve the overall tribological function that is required. Typically they are used in sliding wear, fretting wear in flight control systems and landing gear and for erosion and corrosion protection and fretting wear in the engine.

Q) Is the aerospace industry a difficult one in terms of satisfying the various regulations, accreditations and certifications?

It is difficult, but rightly so, as everyone in this industry understands the level of safety is very critical. The regulations and requirements create a high entry barrier to companies as new businesses have to have the right processes and accreditations in place before you can start in the aerospace industry. There is however, a lot of industry support for new businesses to help them achieve this. Being trusted partners of the aerospace business for over 15 years, we know the required processes, testing, certificates and safety requirements to cooperate with our customers.

Q) What developments do you see happening in the construction and surface protection of assemblies such as landing gear systems?

I see the industry changing towards newer technologies, replacing some older environmentally harmful technologies but at the same time finding new technologies that can also improve existing and new products. There is also a clear trend and movement towards providing environmentally friendly, sustainable solutions.

And with the recent Boeing 737 Max crashes, there is an even more increased focus on safety. The focus of Oerlikon Balzers is setting the standards of our solutions by being environmentally-friendly, offering value to our customers in terms of reducing operating costs, extending product life and improving engine fuel efficiency whilst assuring the highest quality and security.

Q) Can you provide any examples where your products have particularly shone above and beyond those of similar competitor offerings?

Our coating BALINIT TURBINE PRO protect turbine components to improve flight safety and fuel efficiency. It is our anti-erosion and corrosion resistant coating that is 40x more erosion resistant than steel and five times more erosion resistant than other PVD coating solutions.

Q) Has the company made any key capital manufacturing equipment purchases or personnel appointments of late and if so, what and why?

Yes, we have employed a business development manager for aerospace Europe to focus on our European customers. We have invested in our latest high-end carbon coating system, the RS 50 located in our aerospace production centres in France and UK; and with the support from Airbus we have qualified these coating systems.

Q) Is there a concern that less well-developed countries than the UK can push unqualified, or at least ‘unknown origin’ products into the market?

Oerlikon Balzers have over 110 coating centres in 36 countries. All of our coating centres have ISO9001 certification and we have four sites in France, Luxemburg, the UK and Canada that have Nadcap certification for aerospace business. We deliver the highest quality standards all over the world in all our locations by using the same processes and standards of our headquarters in Liechtenstein. On the other hand, due to required certificates, a certain standard is guaranteed to avoid low quality being delivered to the aerospace industry and secondly the industry itself will not accept lower quality.

Q) Price, delivery and on-time delivery are all givens, but what else do you see as important to serving your customers these days?

Trust! Reliable supply, aerospace knowhow and understanding the aerospace business requirements, being a one-stop shop, providing technical support and project management. Equally important are high quality, innovation power and being able to develop solutions for and with the customers.

Q) What do you feel are the most important assets of a company?

We have a very well-defined strategy and core product and innovation focus. Innovation is key, plus the combined technology offering between all of Oerlikon’s different divisions. Our global footprint is very attractive to our customers as we can create the same quality and product in the USA as we can in India. Passionate employees, decades of experience, standardised processes all over the world, highest quality standards.

Q) What differentiates your company from the competition?

Global reach, quality products, innovation power, a broad portfolio of dedicated solutions and services, Oerlikon’s commitment to investment in technology and innovation for our customers. We are still working closely - even through Covid times - with our aerospace customers and partners to develop latest technological coatings to meet the demands of the market.

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