As we unpack from MRO Americas, going through our flyers, business cards, and tchotchkes allows us time to reflect on the information we gathered and the contacts we met. Here at SIFCO, the resounding theme, that our team noticed, was that of Cadmium Replacements and the need for environmentally friendly maintenance alternatives in the aerospace industry.

It is known that the demanding aerospace industry requires well-engineered solutions, but many fear deviating from the already established applications – although they may pose a risk to the operator and the environment. And even if proven solutions are available.

We recognize that selective plating, and surface finishing, are essential maintenance applications in MRO. That’s why SIFCO has developed and refined its products over the last fifty years to provide the highest quality, adherent deposits that are needed to meet industry’s ever-changing requirements.

Cadmium is a well-known and widely-used deposit for corrosion protection applications on landing gear, bushings, flap tracks, and other structural components of the airplane. But, cadmium is also a known carcinogen. And the risk it poses to the operator and the environment is why SIFCO developed its Cadmium alternatives over 15 years ago.

SIFCO’s Cadmium alternatives are superior quality deposits that are drop-in replacements in the Cadmium plating process. Zinc-Nickel LHE and Tin-Zinc LHE are less toxic alternatives to cadmium that can be used to repair damaged cadmium, zinc-nickel, tin-zinc, and damaged IVD aluminum on high strength steels. Both deposits provide excellent corrosion protection and are Low Hydrogen Embrittling, and do not require a post-plating, hydrogen embrittlement relief bake. When used in conjunction with SIFCO’s Trivalent Chromium Conversion, you can achieve 1,000 hours of salt spray with no base metal corrosion. These Zinc-Nickel and Tin-Zinc deposits are capable of meeting the performance requirements of AMS 2451/9, AMS 2451/10 and BAC 5664.

To learn more about SIFCO’s Cadmium alternatives, click here or contact us at info@sifcoasc.com.