A UK-based company is developing coatings for moving components in satellites. The challenge is tougher because the coatings need to withstand normal atmospheric conditions during pre-launch and intense radiation and dust particles when in orbit.
A slippery coating made from silicon carbide is helping companies save millions every year. Large-scale and powerful industrial machinery is prone to wear and tear. However, in the case of aluminum manufacturing and repair, this can demand retooling every two days.
A US-based machine and supply firm spent $4.5 million a year rebuilding its roller tools to work with aluminum. With a coating, the tool needs rebuilding only once a week, and costs have shrunk to less than a third now, the BBC report added.
Yet, we haven’t fully explored this area, and much remains to be discovered and applied. When engineering seems to hit its limits, coatings always manage to deliver a way out.