Fichtner & Schicht is among the world's leading companies in the field of Leading Edge Protection.

In manufacturing our high-quality erosion protection profiles, primarily used for rotor blades, propellers, wing edges, and turbine inlets, we rely on advanced galvanic processes. Our nickel-cobalt alloy offers unique advantages that enable us to develop customized solutions specifically tailored to our customers' individual requirements. This includes optimizing the distribution of wall thicknesses and the intelligent use of materials.

Where erosion is particularly intense, we reinforce the protective layer to guarantee increased longevity. In less stressed areas, we use the material more sparingly to promote resource efficiency while maximizing the stability of the components. This strategy allows us to produce cost-effectively without compromising on quality. With an impressive record of manufacturing 15,000 erosion protection profiles annually and more than 30 years of experience in this sector, we have established ourselves as a global leader in the field of Leading Edge Protection. Our commitment and expertise in erosion protection are unparalleled, and we are proud to offer our customers products that set standards in terms of quality and performance.

Individual, technically sophisticated erosion protection profiles - all advantages at a glance

Our expertise in Leading Edge Protection is reflected in the excellent quality of our specialized hard nickel alloys. These alloys are specifically developed to meet the most demanding mechanical properties required for effective erosion protection. Our alloy composition is carefully adjusted to ensure optimal results in all application areas.

A key feature of our alloys is the uniform structure, which is maintained even in areas with varying wall thicknesses. This consistency is crucial for realizing individual geometries. Even complex shapes with slight undercuts in different wall thicknesses are achievable, making our products particularly versatile.

The longevity of our products against all known forms of erosion stress also distinguishes us. We guarantee a high service life, meaning that our Leading Edge Protection solutions reliably function even under extreme conditions.

Another important aspect is the good adhesiveness of our components to rotor and propeller blades. This facilitates the integration of our protection systems into existing designs and ensures seamless application. Additionally, our hard nickel alloys are designed to exhibit ductile, plastic deformation under stress, rather than brittle fracture. This significantly contributes to the overall safety and performance of the components.

Overall, our Leading Edge Protection solutions offer a combination of advanced material technology, long lifespan, and adaptability, making them an optimal choice for demanding applications in erosion protection.

Complete service from a single source

As part of our comprehensive service approach, we offer customized erosion protection profiles as ready-to-use components. These specialized profiles are used not only in the aviation industry but are also effectively implemented in wind and water turbines to ensure optimal performance. Our process begins with a detailed analysis of our customers' individual CAD datasets. Based on this, we develop precise tools specifically designed for the requirements of each project. Already in this early phase, we place a strong focus on the longevity of the components and efficiency in manufacturing, to offer our customers the best solution in the field of erosion protection.

All necessary tools for our Leading Edge Protection products are milled on modern CNC-controlled machining centers. This process guarantees the highest precision and quality. After milling, the tools are carefully polished and undergo a strict dimensional accuracy test to ensure they meet our high standards. Finally, the precise measurement of the tools is carried out, applying tactile or optical (GOM) measuring methods as required. This careful process ensures that our customers in the field of Leading Edge Protection receive products that lead the industry in terms of precision, quality, and reliability.

High-Precision Processing Plays a Key Role: Our process begins with the careful galvanic molding of the profiles, a step that forms the basis for our high-quality erosion protection solutions. This is followed by meticulous surface finishing, a process in which each profile is deburred and given a uniform grind. This ensures not only top-quality but also the longevity of our products.

For customers with special requirements for wall thickness distribution and precision, we offer tailor-made solutions.

Our manual surface finishing allows us to specifically optimize the wall thicknesses, thus meeting even the most demanding specifications.

We understand that each application in the field of Leading Edge Protection is unique. Therefore, we combine our expertise in the areas of milling and galvanic technology to master even the most challenging tasks. Our motto 'Impossible is not an option!' reflects our commitment to providing innovative and effective solutions for all our customers, regardless of the complexity of their requirements. Our goal is to not only meet but exceed our customers' expectations with our leading technology in the field of Leading Edge Protection.

In developing our solutions, we place great importance on every detail of the production process to ensure optimal performance. A crucial step in this process is preparing the profiles for the bonding process. For this, the inner sides of the profiles are precisely blasted to create a roughened surface. This texture is essential as it provides an ideal base for the subsequent application of the primer. The carefully applied primer plays a key role, as it serves as a foundation and ensures optimal and secure bonding with the rotor or propeller blade.

This specific preparation is an example of our commitment to excellence in every step of the manufacturing process. It guarantees that our Leading Edge Protection products not only meet the highest standards in terms of durability but also enable seamless integration into our customers' existing systems. Thus, we contribute to maximizing the longevity and efficiency of rotor and propeller blades, setting new standards in the field of erosion protection.

Leading Edge Protection in numbers