This technology makes it possible to more than double the performance of parts.
Naro-Fominsk Machine-Building Plant (NFMZ, part of the United Engine Corporation of Rostec State Corporation) has mastered the advanced technology of applying nanostructured multilayer coatings to the blades of aircraft engine compressors. The introduction of the technology makes it possible to more than double the performance of the parts.
NFMZ specializes in the manufacture of compressor blades for aircraft engines made of high-alloy steels and titanium alloys. These parts are among the most difficult to manufacture and perform the most important functions in the operation of the power plant. The blades created at the enterprise are used in more than a dozen serial gas turbine engines, as well as in advanced power plants.
Over its more than 20-year history, the machine-building enterprise has manufactured several tens of millions of blades for aircraft engine compressors. Currently, the production of PD-14 high-pressure compressor guide vanes for the MC-21 medium-range aircraft is actively developing.
"Extensive cooperation with other UEC enterprises makes it possible to use the promising technological developments of the entire corporation in the production of compressor blades. So, in 2025, compressor blades were created from blanks produced by an additive method at one of the UEC enterprises. In 2025, work was successfully carried out on the development of nanostructured nine-layer coatings using quadrupole ion plasma magnetron sputtering at a domestic production facility. This coating makes it possible to more than double the performance characteristics of the parts," said Nikolay Nikolaev, General Director of NFMZ JSC.
Quadrupole magnetron sputtering is a highly efficient method for obtaining nanocomposite coatings. It is based on atomization of the material by ions from a gas-discharge plasma. This makes it possible to obtain nanostructured coatings with unique properties and characteristics, which is important for hardening, corrosion protection and wear.
Protective coatings are applied on the universal vacuum unit UNIP-900MS. The equipment ensures plasma uniformity and expands the possibilities for applying new promising nanocomposite coatings.
Robotization and automation of production are also actively developing at NFMZ. In 2025, robotic technological complexes for abrasive and dimensional finishing of the surface layer of the blade profile made of titanium and heat-resistant alloys were successfully put into operation. In the near future, the introduction of machine vision into the processes of visual and non—destructive testing, automation of loading and unloading processes on technological equipment.
An ERP system of our own design is widely used to organize production, which allows us to track the life cycle of a part from preparation to delivery to the warehouse, as well as plan production processes to ensure optimal use of both personnel and technological equipment resources.
