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United Protective Technologies, LLC (UPT) is excited to announce the reception of a $60,000 grant from the One North Carolina Small Business Program. This grant allows UPT to continue to develop coatings for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and weapon systems.
Since inception, UPT has won several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards for novel protective coatings for high-value components.
“UPT developed nanocomposite coatings demonstrated on rotary engine components used on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) platforms. This investigation focused on UAV piston engines that have Nikasil-coated aluminum cylinders in contact with the sealing surface of an iron ring or wiper seal. The high rate of wear in these components typically results in frequent engine rebuilds. Representative grey cast iron wipers were paired with Nikasil coated aluminum 6061 coupons – representing a wiper seal – cylinder tribology system”, said Timothy Simmons, UPT Program Manager.
“A pin-on-disk experiment was then performed on the baseline systems (lubricated and unlubricated) and compared with UPT NCC coated sample pairs. NCCs were demonstrated to offer over a 3,000x improvement in wear resistance compared to the current boundary lubrication methods and over a 40x improvement over Nikasil coated and boundary lubricated components, at only 1/10th of the thickness. That translates to a 400x improvement over comparable thickness Nikasil that is lubricated. Even more, similar performance was witnessed from the NCCs whether boundary lubrication was used or not, allowing for oil-free operation with significant performance improvements. This coating has been fully transitioned for commercial coating applications and represents over 500,000 coated parts annually for UPT," said Simmons.
Nanocomposite coatings (NCCs) resulted in a 10-12x improvement in component longevity. This was accomplished through the reduction of friction and wear. The application of this UPT coating will extend UAV maintenance intervals, reduce maintenance costs, extend component life, and increase operational platform readiness. This represents a significant advancement for UAVs and improves the US Military's UAV fleet around the globe.
UPT’s coatings are manufactured to perform across multiple industries from aerospace to firearms, and can be customized to be anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, self-lubricating, and much more. Most notable is P51+, an industry-leading diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating that minimizes wear, reduces friction, and protects against corrosion. This high-performance DLC is used to protect a variety of components in various industries from firearms to medical implants, gears to injection molding.
SBIR AWARD: Alternate Lubrication Mechanisms for Small UAV and Attritable Weapon Systems (COIL) | SBIR.gov
About UPT
United Protective Technologies is a leader in the development and application of high-performance protective coatings for critical components. For more than two decades UPT has pushed the boundaries of surface engineering through the introduction of proprietary coatings that protect against wear, corrosion, and friction. With a strong foundation in research and development, UPT continues to provide its customers with the latest in surface protection and performance technology.
Aaron Byrum
Marketing Manager / Sales Engineer
142 Cara Ct.
Locust, NC 28097
(704) 221-9837
abyrum@upt-usa.com
