Innovative Manufacturing Process Improvements—CVD TiC Coating on Precision Bearing Balls

The United States faces the risk of losing a technology vital to national security. Coatings of Titanium Carbide (TiC) applied by a novel Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Process are applied to the balls used in ball bearings in several important strategic and tactical missile defense systems. A Swiss company was the sole source of these coatings and their production capability has now been phased out. BryCoat has been selected by the coated ball bearing stakeholders to transition this technology to the U.S. and continue production. Phase I of this project initiated the technology transfer and Phase II is expected to continue the transfer of technology and equipment, qualify the product produced at BryCoat, and improve the coating processes. There is already a defense critical market for TiC coated ball bearings that must be served by the transfer and improvement of TiC CVD coating technology. High performance surface coatings can also be used in commercial applications for the treatment of machine parts, instruments and medical devices.