Submit Drawing & AMS 2404 Callout
You send the part drawing, material certificate, finish callout, and any program-level spec requirements. We confirm AMS 2404 revision, allowable substrate, and any masking or selective-plate zones before quoting.
Entech is a SAE International-approved processor for AMS 2404 electroless nickel plating, executed under NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation. Landing-gear and structural-aerospace components, processed against the AMS 2404 callout and shipped worldwide.
AMS 2404 sits at the intersection of aerospace structural reliability and chemical-process discipline. When it appears on a engineering drawing, the part isn’t a candidate for a generic plating shop. Below is what the callout actually requires.
AMS 2404 is SAE International’s Landing Gear Plating Specification 1108 — the customer-controlled standard for electroless nickel plating on landing-gear and adjacent structural-aerospace components built under aerospace programs. It defines the chemistry envelope, deposit characteristics, allowable substrates, post-treatment requirements, and inspection criteria that an electroless nickel deposit must satisfy before a part is accepted into a aerospace assembly.
The specification exists because landing-gear and load-path structural components live at the demanding end of the aerospace duty envelope: cyclic loading, fatigue, corrosive service environments, and tight dimensional tolerance after build-up. A generic "per AMS 2404" deposit doesn’t satisfy AMS 2404 by itself — the callout layers ASTM-specific bath-control, hardness, post-bake, and adhesion criteria on top of the public-spec foundation.
What AMS 2404 actually controls, in plain English: which platers can run it (only public spec approved processors), how the bath is run (phosphorus content, temperature, pH, replenishment cycle), what the deposit must measure (thickness range, hardness as-plated and post-heat-treat, adhesion), what substrates are allowed, and how the part is post-treated (hydrogen-embrittlement relief bake on high-strength steels; optional heat treatment to elevate hardness). Get one of those wrong, and the part isn’t AMS 2404 — even if the deposit looks right.
For procurement engineers, the practical consequence is simple: AMS 2404 work must be sourced from a ASTM-approved processor with current NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation, full traceable lot records, and a quality system that stands up to a customer source-survey audit. Entech is on that list.
Use this matrix as a starting point when scoping a part to AMS 2404. The exact values for any given component come off the drawing — we cross-reference each callout against the live specification before quoting.
| Parameter | Typical AMS 2404 Range | Process Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus Content | 10.5–13 wt % | High-phosphorus deposit. Maximum corrosion resistance and amorphous as-plated structure. Bath chemistry maintained inside the AMS 2404 envelope by daily titration. |
| Deposition Rate | 12–20 µm / hr | Bath temperature (88–92 °C) and pH (4.6–5.0) controlled to deliver predictable plate-time per drawing thickness. |
| Hardness, As-Plated | ~500 HV / ~48 HRC | Amorphous Ni-P matrix. Naturally hard but ductile relative to electrodeposited chromium. Acceptable for service without further heat treatment when drawing permits. |
| Hardness, Post Heat Treat | ~900–1000 HV / 65–70 HRC | Optional precipitation heat treat at 350–400 °C / 1–4 hr precipitates Ni₃P and elevates hardness. Used when drawing calls for hard-EN equivalent to chrome. |
| Typical Thickness Range | 0.0005–0.003″ (12–75 µm) | Per drawing callout. Heavier build-up (up to 0.005″) on engineering review. Thinner values for corrosion-only callouts. |
| Embrittlement Relief Bake | 190 °C / 23 hr min. | Mandatory on high-strength steels (e.g., 300M, AerMet 100, 4340 above 1000 MPa) within 4 hours of plating to release diffused hydrogen. |
| Allowed Substrates | Per AMS 2404 § | Carbon & alloy steels, stainless, aluminum (with appropriate strike), copper alloys, Invar 36, Inconel, 300M, AerMet, A286, beryllium copper. Each substrate has a controlled prep / activation sequence. |
| Adhesion Test | Bend / Thermal-shock | Sample coupons run with each lot. Visual inspection for blistering, peeling, or cracking after thermal-shock cycle confirms metallurgical bond. |
| Post-Treatment Options | Bake · Heat treat · Polish | Combinations applied per drawing: hydrogen relief, hardness elevation, dimensional polish to print. Selective masking available for non-plated zones. |
| Quality Documentation | CofC + lot data | Each shipment carries certificate of conformance citing AMS 2404, NADCAP audit reference, lot ID, thickness verification, and bake record. |
Each step exists to remove a variable. By the time your parts hit the bath, every ASTM-controlled requirement — chemistry envelope, thickness range, post-treatment, lot documentation — is already locked.
You send the part drawing, material certificate, finish callout, and any program-level spec requirements. We confirm AMS 2404 revision, allowable substrate, and any masking or selective-plate zones before quoting.
Process engineering matches the substrate to the right preparation, activation, and post-treatment sequence. Hydrogen-embrittlement relief bake and any heat-treat steps are scheduled into the route before the bath.
Bath chemistry, temperature, and pH controlled to the AMS 2404 envelope. Real-time monitoring with daily titration. Thickness developed against the drawing tolerance, with selective masking applied where the print requires it.
Thickness verification, visual inspection, embrittlement-relief bake record, and certificate of conformance citing AMS 2404 and NADCAP CP. Packaged for international export and shipped on schedule worldwide.
AMS 2404 lives inside a larger landscape of SAE International and aerospace-industry approvals. Here’s how to navigate from this page to the closest neighbours.
Direct answers, with the specification numbers, certification IDs, and validity dates that aerospace procurement engineers need to evidence sourcing.
Send us the drawing, material certificate, and finish callout. We’ll confirm the AMS 2404 revision against your program, scope the route, and respond with a quote and lead time inside one business day.
Entech is a SAE International-approved processor for AMS 2404 electroless nickel plating, executed under NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation. Landing-gear and structural-aerospace components, processed against the AMS 2404 callout and shipped worldwide.
AMS 2404 sits at the intersection of aerospace structural reliability and chemical-process discipline. When it appears on a engineering drawing, the part isn’t a candidate for a generic plating shop. Below is what the callout actually requires.
AMS 2404 is SAE International’s Landing Gear Plating Specification 1108 — the customer-controlled standard for electroless nickel plating on landing-gear and adjacent structural-aerospace components built under aerospace programs. It defines the chemistry envelope, deposit characteristics, allowable substrates, post-treatment requirements, and inspection criteria that an electroless nickel deposit must satisfy before a part is accepted into a aerospace assembly.
The specification exists because landing-gear and load-path structural components live at the demanding end of the aerospace duty envelope: cyclic loading, fatigue, corrosive service environments, and tight dimensional tolerance after build-up. A generic "per AMS 2404" deposit doesn’t satisfy AMS 2404 by itself — the callout layers ASTM-specific bath-control, hardness, post-bake, and adhesion criteria on top of the public-spec foundation.
What AMS 2404 actually controls, in plain English: which platers can run it (only public spec approved processors), how the bath is run (phosphorus content, temperature, pH, replenishment cycle), what the deposit must measure (thickness range, hardness as-plated and post-heat-treat, adhesion), what substrates are allowed, and how the part is post-treated (hydrogen-embrittlement relief bake on high-strength steels; optional heat treatment to elevate hardness). Get one of those wrong, and the part isn’t AMS 2404 — even if the deposit looks right.
For procurement engineers, the practical consequence is simple: AMS 2404 work must be sourced from a ASTM-approved processor with current NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation, full traceable lot records, and a quality system that stands up to a customer source-survey audit. Entech is on that list.
Use this matrix as a starting point when scoping a part to AMS 2404. The exact values for any given component come off the drawing — we cross-reference each callout against the live specification before quoting.
| Parameter | Typical AMS 2404 Range | Process Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus Content | 10.5–13 wt % | High-phosphorus deposit. Maximum corrosion resistance and amorphous as-plated structure. Bath chemistry maintained inside the AMS 2404 envelope by daily titration. |
| Deposition Rate | 12–20 µm / hr | Bath temperature (88–92 °C) and pH (4.6–5.0) controlled to deliver predictable plate-time per drawing thickness. |
| Hardness, As-Plated | ~500 HV / ~48 HRC | Amorphous Ni-P matrix. Naturally hard but ductile relative to electrodeposited chromium. Acceptable for service without further heat treatment when drawing permits. |
| Hardness, Post Heat Treat | ~900–1000 HV / 65–70 HRC | Optional precipitation heat treat at 350–400 °C / 1–4 hr precipitates Ni₃P and elevates hardness. Used when drawing calls for hard-EN equivalent to chrome. |
| Typical Thickness Range | 0.0005–0.003″ (12–75 µm) | Per drawing callout. Heavier build-up (up to 0.005″) on engineering review. Thinner values for corrosion-only callouts. |
| Embrittlement Relief Bake | 190 °C / 23 hr min. | Mandatory on high-strength steels (e.g., 300M, AerMet 100, 4340 above 1000 MPa) within 4 hours of plating to release diffused hydrogen. |
| Allowed Substrates | Per AMS 2404 § | Carbon & alloy steels, stainless, aluminum (with appropriate strike), copper alloys, Invar 36, Inconel, 300M, AerMet, A286, beryllium copper. Each substrate has a controlled prep / activation sequence. |
| Adhesion Test | Bend / Thermal-shock | Sample coupons run with each lot. Visual inspection for blistering, peeling, or cracking after thermal-shock cycle confirms metallurgical bond. |
| Post-Treatment Options | Bake · Heat treat · Polish | Combinations applied per drawing: hydrogen relief, hardness elevation, dimensional polish to print. Selective masking available for non-plated zones. |
| Quality Documentation | CofC + lot data | Each shipment carries certificate of conformance citing AMS 2404, NADCAP audit reference, lot ID, thickness verification, and bake record. |
Each step exists to remove a variable. By the time your parts hit the bath, every ASTM-controlled requirement — chemistry envelope, thickness range, post-treatment, lot documentation — is already locked.
You send the part drawing, material certificate, finish callout, and any program-level spec requirements. We confirm AMS 2404 revision, allowable substrate, and any masking or selective-plate zones before quoting.
Process engineering matches the substrate to the right preparation, activation, and post-treatment sequence. Hydrogen-embrittlement relief bake and any heat-treat steps are scheduled into the route before the bath.
Bath chemistry, temperature, and pH controlled to the AMS 2404 envelope. Real-time monitoring with daily titration. Thickness developed against the drawing tolerance, with selective masking applied where the print requires it.
Thickness verification, visual inspection, embrittlement-relief bake record, and certificate of conformance citing AMS 2404 and NADCAP CP. Packaged for international export and shipped on schedule worldwide.
AMS 2404 lives inside a larger landscape of SAE International and aerospace-industry approvals. Here’s how to navigate from this page to the closest neighbours.
Direct answers, with the specification numbers, certification IDs, and validity dates that aerospace procurement engineers need to evidence sourcing.
Send us the drawing, material certificate, and finish callout. We’ll confirm the AMS 2404 revision against your program, scope the route, and respond with a quote and lead time inside one business day.