Oerlikon Balzers Coating UK Ltd is celebrating the receipt of Nadcap accreditation for its hard, wear resistant, low friction coatings and the coating processes used in the UK. Oerlikon Balzers is already recognised as a world leader in coating technology, this latest accolade is further testament to the systems and procedures employed at its Milton Keynes coating centre.

Driven by the world's leading aerospace companies, Nadcap (National Aerospace & Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) approval is vital for any company serious about working in this sector. In undertaking the six month apprasial process Oerlikon Balzers Coating UK underscored its determination to be at the forefront of supplying world leading surface technologies to these companies.

"Our quality systems were already at an extremely high level due to demands from existing customers, many of whom are in high technology sectors such as aerospace and motorsport," says Toby Middlemiss, Nadcap Engineer at Oerlikon Balzers Coating UK. "What Nadcap is bringing to our business is an additional level of accountability and traceability within our coating centre."

Unlike many other approval systems Nadcap looks more at product processing requirements than office systems and creates an environment where all requirements are identified, documented and recorded prior to starting the process. This ensures that all critical components are manufactured, inspected and tested according to the correct procedures, with all of the relevant data logged and stored.

"Many of the processes demanded by Nadcap were already in place at Oerlikon Balzers Coating UK, but in gaining the approval we can offer additional reassurance to our current and prospective aerospace customers that we are in a position to guarantee that component quality will be maintained to the highest standards."