Military jet

The world’s leading aviation defence companies entrust their products to Bodycote. We never forget that our customers have invested time, money and resources in all the components we process, which is why quality comes as a standard part of our services.

Landing gear

Critical landing gear must perform without fault every time the aircraft flies. The safety of the crew and the passengers depend on it. The nature and position of this critical component demands both strength and high resistance to wear and corrosion to fulfil design requirements.

Combinations of thermal processing techniques are used to ensure these characteristics are achieved. Heat treatment is performed to enhance the properties of the materials, allowing the parts to endure harsh in-service stresses. Bodycote uses more sustainable thermal spray processes such as HVOF, in replacement of traditional coating methods, to provide superior corrosion and wear resistance properties. Typical treated parts include:

• Trunnion
• Beams
• Hydraulics
• Bearings
• Fasteners and fittings
• Push-pull rods
• Shafts

Engine

The extreme performance required of military aircraft engines is enabled through a variety of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing technologies.

Engine components operate at high rotational speeds and must withstand extreme temperatures. Coatings are used to enhance anti-fretting, anti-galling, temperature and wear resistance.  Heat treatments typically include stress relieving (after hard face welding), solution and age.

Honeycomb seals are primarily used to prevent gas leakage between different stages of the turbine section. Vacuum brazing is used to join the seal to the ring, with Nickel alloy usually the braze alloy of choice.

• Front bearing housing
• Exhaust ducts
• Turbine blades and vanes
• Aft fan case
• LPT stator
• Compressor assembly
• Shafts and seals
• Bearings
• Air ducts
• Nozzles and pipes
• Gears
• Combustion chamber
• Vane rings

Ejector seat

The ejector seat is a safety critical device for emergency use to ensure that the occupant of the seat is safely expelled from the aircraft. The thermally processed rocket tubes are a key part of the ejector seat process. These rocket tubes must contain the forces generated by the detonation of explosive charge, ensuring the released energy is focused where needed.

The necessary strength required by the rocket tube to withstand these explosive forces, is produced by hardening and tempering.

Air frame

Air frame structural components include everything comprising the fuselage including: doors, wing spars, flight control surfaces, ailerons, bulkheads, stringers, and wing panels. Not only is the air frame subjected to the forces in flight but the impact loads associated with take-off and landing.

Corrosion resistant materials are used in areas where strength and resistance to the elements are mandatory. Aluminium and titanium are used in areas where strength and lightness is a priority. Many titanium components are heat treated in vacuum furnaces. Aluminium can be treated in vacuum or air atmosphere.

• Air frame
• Horizontal stabiliser
• Wing keel
• Fan duct
• Side body
• Engine nacelle
• Engine mount
• Cowling
• Locks, rivets and hinges