The big picture at Keronite

The aerospace industry has long been associated with innovation. From the concept of powered flight to the materials used to produce components, there is innovation at every stage of the aircraft design and build process. However, while the industry has brought new technologies to the fore, the passenger aircraft industry in particular is often slow to adopt them. This is due to the long lifespan of passenger aircraft designs and the significant investment of time and money required to take new technologies through testing before changes to standard designs can be made. However, while concerns about the safety of new technologies are understandable given the inherently risky nature of aviation, as an industry, this reluctance to adopt new technologies means we're missing out on the benefits – in both environmental and financial terms – that new developments could offer. Part of the problem lies in the fact that OEMs and component manufacturers seldom take a holistic approach to the design process. While there was some consolidation at the start of the century, individual components – let alone complete systems – often involve lengthy supply chains, with individual companies performing just a small part of the manufacturing process. As a result, component and aircraft design takes place at an OEM or tier one supplier level, with these companies then going out to tender to supply the various parts of that design or reaching out to specialist suppliers only once a problem has been identified. Involving suppliers at the earliest stages of the design and engineering process could revolutionise the process, allowing carriers to benefit from the environmental and performance benefits offered by new technologies while also reducing life-in-service costs of many key components. Keronite's unique plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) surface treatment is already proven to improve wear resistance of components and is approved for use in the MRO market. However, bringing the benefits of this technology to new component designs has been a more drawn out process. Keronite is an enabling technology, allowing component designers to make greater use of light alloys in aircraft designs: for example, using aluminium in place of steel or magnesium in place of aluminium. As a multi-functional coating, it can be used on its own or as a duplex, giving it the ability to solve multiple technical challenges where more traditional coatings are strong in only one area. We're often approached by customers when they have identified a problem with a specific area of their design, such as sliding wear, high temperature corrosion, strength, conductivity, thermal performance or aesthetics. All of these are areas the Keronite process can help with, but all too often the designs are so advanced by the time we are approached that, while we can help, we're not able to optimise the benefits and the process ends up being more expensive than it would otherwise be. Engaging specialist suppliers at the earliest stages of the design process could remove a lot of time and cost from the development process, allowing suppliers to combine materials science with Lean manufacturing principles and develop a balanced solution that optimises the customer's technical and commercial objectives. Exploring new technologies at an earlier stage would also allow more time for those technologies to pass the all-important testing and accreditation processes, facilitating their use more easily in future designs and driving far greater adoption of lightweight materials in aircraft designs. The UK is home to a host of innovative companies, all developing new technologies and processes that make the previously impossible possible. But, as things stand, it is likely to be many generations before the aerospace industry reaps the benefits of those technologies that exist and are proven today, let alone those currently under development. And with environmental and commercial pressures greater than ever across the industry, that seems a real waste. www.keronite.com