Defence industry

A coat of arms: the importance of anodising in the defence sector

The defence industry in the UK makes great use of electroplating in a range of applications. Naturally, like any technology based industry, it utilises gold and silver-plating processes for its electronics. It also uses zinc-nickel plating to great effect, protecting mechanical components from heat and corrosion damage. Both of these processes have been discussed previously on this site, as they are common to many industry sectors.

Today, we’re going to talk about anodising. Like so many plating processes, it is also used in multiple industries, but it is particularly useful in the military and defence sector.

Defence

Here’s why…

Wear and corrosion resistance

Military hardware often finds itself employed in some of the world’s most inhospitable locations, making corrosion and wear resistance a must. Few plating processes can combine the two as effectively as anodising, creating a hard-wearing and durable protective layer for many components.

Adhesion

For many defence components, anodising is only the start. Once we’ve finished our plating process, they need to be painted for a specific purpose. Anodising makes the surface better for adhesion purposes, removing the need to apply a primer. Over a large consignment, this saves ours clients hours of extra work, not to mention the cost of additional materials.

Uniformity and precision

Anodising is a form of electroplating, whereby a current is passed from a battery to the substrate material, suspended in a solution. This method causes the anodic film to grow on the metal at an even and uniform rate. What this means is we can control the process to a precise degree, applying a coat as thin or as thick as our client needs. For the defence industry, this level of precision is vital, as every unit must be exactly the same for the sake of accuracy and safety.

Versatility

While most plating processes leaves the components the same colour as the plating material, anodising allows you to alter the colour. Being a porous plating solution, it is possible to anodise in a variety of different hues. While you can’t expect subtlety of shade, it’s ideal for a strong, base colour. At Karas Plating, for instance, we can provide anodised components in red, green, gold, blue, black and natural. Having your plated materials pre-coloured offers a great saving for defence contracts, who often order in bulk.

Get in touch

For more information about our anodising processes, both in the defence sector and elsewhere, contact Karas Plating today. Call on 0333 121 0151 for a free, no-obligation quote.