Recent statistics indicate the American aerospace industry contributed just over $144 billion in 2015 to the American economy in export sales. The industry employees around 500,000 employees in such fields as scientific research and technical work while approximately another 700,000 work in industries that are related to aerospace production. Among the many aerospace jobs available are those in general aviation, unmanned aircraft systems, and aerospace plating. The last in this list is part of the supply chain that includes repair and maintenance.
Requirements for Metal Plating for the Aerospace Industry
The number one characteristic the aerospace industry demands is quality. This is of paramount importance in the production process. Aircraft parts and other components must conform to the high standards the industry lays out in its specifications for every aspect of the manufacturing process, including plating. Aerospace plating must be reliable, consistent and of superior quality. Failure to achieve these goals can result in catastrophic consequences.
Metal Plating Processes and Their Benefits
Common metals in the aerospace industry are stainless steel and titanium. Yet, no matter what the metal, the most common metal finishing processes are:
1. Electroplating
2. Electroless plating
Aerospace industries rely on them to contribute the following properties to the surface of the substrate metal.:
1. Heightened corrosion protection
2. Improved strength
3. Superior resistance to high temperatures
4. Increased longevity of aerospace components
5. Enhanced electrical conductivity
6. Augmented oxidation resistance
7. Additional aesthetic appeal
The use of various forms of coating or plating achieves the above-desired results.
Aerospace Plating
The aerospace industry is a highly demanding one. For those who perform such actions as aerospace plating, the specifications are very stringent. The components fabricators produce and finish must be capable of handling the very challenging environment of each application. Only by paying close attention to detail and adhering to the specifications pre-requisite for undertaking such work, can a fabricator/finisher retain their position in the supply chain.
