In the aerospace and defense industries, every part must meet significant requirements: full traceability, micron-level tolerances, resistance to extreme environments, and compliance with strict standards. Aerospace surface treatment takes place at this critical stage; it does not alter the part’s mechanical function but ensures its long-term reliability against corrosion and wear, or guarantees precise electrical conductivity.
For more than 40 years, we have been supporting aerospace industry players throughout the entire production chain for their technical components: chemical and electrochemical cutting, electroforming, precision machining, bending/assembly, and surface treatment. Our end-to-end in-house expertise, certified to EN 9100, ensures traceability and compliance at every stage.
Why is surface treatment critical in the aerospace industry?
A component designed for a satellite or a defense system is subject to stresses that surface treatment makes it possible to precisely control:
- Corrosion protection in saline, humid, or aggressive fluid environments
- Controlled electrical conductivity, essential for connectors, shielding, and equipotential bonding
- Wear resistance and good adhesion prior to assembly, bonding, or integration into a subassembly
- Lightweight design and dimensional accuracy: two constant imperatives in the aerospace industry
These operations are considered special and technical processes; their compliance cannot be fully verified after the fact, but rather depends on mastery of the process itself, hence the requirement for certifications such as EN 9100, which provides a framework for quality management among aerospace suppliers.
Surface treatments provided by Wipelec for the aerospace industry
We have in-house expertise in several surface treatment processes tailored to the industry’s requirements, covering a wide range of materials (aluminum, copper, brass, and complex alloys).
Chemical and Electrolytic Nickel Plating
Nickel plating provides excellent corrosion resistance, good surface hardness, and reliable deposit adhesion. These properties are highly sought after for connectors, mechanical components, and aluminum or brass parts intended for demanding technical applications. We perform both chemical nickel plating (autocatalytic, with uniform thickness even on complex geometries) and electrolytic nickel plating.
Silver Plating
Electrolytic silver plating —whether by immersion or mechanical means—is the preferred method for technical components that require excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, a common requirement for connectors, contacts, and RF components used in the aerospace industry. The choice of process depends on the required precision, the nature of the components, and production volumes.
Chemical and Electrolytic Copper Plating
Copper plating produces a uniform deposit, even in recesses or complex geometries, with a consistent thickness across the entire part. It is used, in particular, as a preparatory step prior to other plating processes, or to meet specific conductivity requirements.
The Alodine 1200
For aluminum alloys, we apply the Alodine 1200 treatment, a chemical conversion coating that protects the part from corrosion while maintaining its electrical conductivity— a critical factor for lightning protection on an aircraft. It is one of the industry-standard treatments in the aerospace sector for aluminum parts.
Degreasing, pickling, and passivation
Before any coating is applied, surface preparation determines the final quality of the treatment. Wipelec performs the degreasing, stripping, and passivation of metal parts in-house—an essential step to ensure coating adhesion and the removal of contaminants, residues, or traces of oxidation.
Do you have an aerospace parts project that needs to be processed?
Request a quote and receive technical support for your entire production line, from cutting to surface treatment.
An integrated production line
In addition to surface treatment, we handle all processes associated with the manufacture of precision engineering parts in-house:
- chemical cutting and electrochemical cutting, for thin, precision parts free from mechanical stress caused by machining
- electroforming, to produce complex parts or parts with very thin walls that are difficult to manufacture using other processes
- Precision machining, bending, and assembly, to deliver a finished product rather than a raw part.
This integration limits the number of points of contact, ensures on-time delivery, and improves traceability—a major challenge when a part goes through several processes before its final delivery.
Certifications that ensure compliance with aviation standards
When choosing a surface treatment company for the aerospace industry , it is essential to verify its accreditations. We are certified:
- EN 9100, the quality management standard specific to the aerospace and defense industries, which supplements ISO 9001 with industry-specific requirements (qualification of special processes, risk management, traceability)
- ISO 9001, for quality management
- ISO 4001, for environmental management in manufacturing.
How to Choose an Aerospace Surface Treatment Provider?
Here are a few things to check before entrusting your critical parts to a surface treatment company:
- The current certifications (EN 9100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001) and their exact scope.
- The wide range of processes handled in-house, to minimize outsourcing and disruptions in the workflow.
- Traceability, with documentation for each batch and each stage of production.
- The ability to handle prototypes and small production runs, which is often necessary during the aerospace development phase.
- Location and deadlines: a major logistical challenge for French productions.
Everything You Need to Know About Surface Treatment in the Aerospace Industry
What is Alodine 1200, and why is it used in the aerospace industry?
This is a chemical conversion treatment applied to aluminum that protects against corrosion while preserving the part’s electrical conductivity. These are essential features for equipotential bonding and lightning protection on an aircraft.
What is the difference between chemical nickel plating and electrolytic nickel plating?
Chemical (autocatalytic) nickel plating is performed without an electric current and produces a perfectly uniform deposit, even on complex geometries.
Electrolytic nickel plating uses an electric current and allows for better control of the plating thickness on parts with simpler shapes.
Why is EN 9100 certification essential for an aerospace subcontractor?
This certification attests that the company has mastered quality management, traceability, and special processes in accordance with IAQG requirements, which is a prerequisite for being listed as a supplier to major contractors (Airbus, Safran, etc.).
Can Wipelec handle prototypes or small production runs?
At Wipelec, we handle the entire production process in-house (cutting, surface treatment, machining, assembly), which enables us to support both the prototyping phase and mass production.
