Submit Drawing & AMS 2403 Callout
You send the part drawing, material certificate, finish callout, and any program-level spec requirements. We confirm AMS 2403 revision, allowable substrate, and any masking or selective-plate zones before quoting.
AMS 2403 · ASTM INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
AMS 2403 Electroless Nickel Sulfamate, All Classes.
Entech is a SAE International-approved processor for AMS 2403 electroless nickel plating, executed under NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation. Landing-gear and structural-aerospace components, processed against the AMS 2403 callout and shipped worldwide.
Approved on
Type II/IV/V
SC1-4 grades
NADCAP CP
AS9100D
Scroll
The Specification
What AMS 2403 means on a print — and why it matters.
AMS 2403 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 2403 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 2403" deposit doesn’t satisfy AMS 2403 by itself — the callout layers ASTM-specific bath-control, hardness, post-bake, and adhesion criteria on top of the public-spec foundation.
What AMS 2403 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 2403 — even if the deposit looks right.
For procurement engineers, the practical consequence is simple: AMS 2403 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.
Issuing Body
SAE International
SAE International aerospace systems business unit. Specification owner; processor-approval gatekeeper via the public NADCAP-accredited shop list.
Plating Type
Electroless Ni-P
Autocatalytic nickel-phosphorus deposit. No external current. Uniform coverage on internal features and complex geometries.
Typical Thickness
0.0005–0.003″
Per drawing callout. Common range 12–75 µm. Heavier build-up acceptable on engineering review.
Common Substrates
Steel · SST · Al · 300M
Carbon and alloy steels, stainless, aluminum, copper alloys, Invar 36, Inconel, plus high-strength steels including 300M.
Technical Parameters
The numbers behind AMS 2403.
Use this matrix as a starting point when scoping a part to AMS 2403. 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 2403 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 2403 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 2403 § | 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 2403, NADCAP audit reference, lot ID, thickness verification, and bake record. |
Note: ranges shown are typical values consistent with public AMS 2403
guidance. The controlled specification governs the exact requirements for any given
part — Entech runs each AMS 2403 lot to the live, current revision of the
specification on file, with full traceability into the spec audit record.
The Pipeline
How Entech runs an AMS 2403 lot — from drawing to dock.
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.
Process Review & Engineering Sign-off
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.
Plate to AMS 2403
Bath chemistry, temperature, and pH controlled to the AMS 2403 envelope. Real-time monitoring with daily titration. Thickness developed against the drawing tolerance, with selective masking applied where the print requires it.
Inspect, Document & Ship
Thickness verification, visual inspection, embrittlement-relief bake record, and certificate of conformance citing AMS 2403 and NADCAP CP. Packaged for international export and shipped on schedule worldwide.
Where This Fits
Related approvals, sibling specs, and the parent process.
AMS 2403 lives inside a larger landscape of SAE International and aerospace-industry approvals. Here’s how to navigate from this page to the closest neighbours.
Hub — All customer-specific approvals
Sibling specs — other Collins / landing-gear approvals
Parent process — the underlying service
Decide which spec fits your part
Frequently Asked
AMS 2403 — the questions buyers ask us most.
Direct answers, with the specification numbers, certification IDs, and validity dates that aerospace procurement engineers need to evidence sourcing.
Q: Is Entech approved for SAE International AMS 2403?
A: Yes. Entech holds active SAE International AMS 2403 approval as an approved processor on the public NADCAP-accredited shop list, executed under our NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation (Cert 24321236442) valid through February 28, 2027.
Q: What is AMS 2403?
A: AMS 2403 is SAE International Landing Gear Plating Specification 1108, the electroless nickel plating standard for landing-gear and related aerospace structural components manufactured under SAE International programs.
Q: What substrates does Entech plate to AMS 2403?
A: Entech plates to AMS 2403 on carbon and alloy steels, stainless steel, aluminum, copper alloys, Invar 36, Inconel, and high-strength alloys including 300M. Each substrate has a tailored preparation, activation, and post-treatment sequence.
Q: Does Entech ship AMS 2403 work internationally?
A: Yes. Entech ships AMS 2403-processed components worldwide, with established workflows for Canadian, US, UK, French, and German aerospace customers.
Q: How do I request an AMS 2403 quote from Entech?
A: Submit a quote request at https://enplating.com/contactus with your part drawing, material, and finish callout. Entech responds with a process review and quote within one business day.
Talk to a process engineer about your AMS 2403 part.
Send us the drawing, material certificate, and finish callout. We’ll confirm the AMS 2403 revision against your program, scope the route, and respond with a quote and lead time inside one business day.
Cert 24321236442 · NADCAP CP through Feb 28, 2027 · AS9100D · Worldwide shipping
AMS 2403 · ASTM INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
AMS 2403 Electroless Nickel Sulfamate, All Classes.
Entech is a SAE International-approved processor for AMS 2403 electroless nickel plating, executed under NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation. Landing-gear and structural-aerospace components, processed against the AMS 2403 callout and shipped worldwide.
Approved on
Type II/IV/V
SC1-4 grades
NADCAP CP
AS9100D
Scroll
The Specification
What AMS 2403 means on a print — and why it matters.
AMS 2403 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 2403 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 2403" deposit doesn’t satisfy AMS 2403 by itself — the callout layers ASTM-specific bath-control, hardness, post-bake, and adhesion criteria on top of the public-spec foundation.
What AMS 2403 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 2403 — even if the deposit looks right.
For procurement engineers, the practical consequence is simple: AMS 2403 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.
Issuing Body
SAE International
SAE International aerospace systems business unit. Specification owner; processor-approval gatekeeper via the public NADCAP-accredited shop list.
Plating Type
Electroless Ni-P
Autocatalytic nickel-phosphorus deposit. No external current. Uniform coverage on internal features and complex geometries.
Typical Thickness
0.0005–0.003″
Per drawing callout. Common range 12–75 µm. Heavier build-up acceptable on engineering review.
Common Substrates
Steel · SST · Al · 300M
Carbon and alloy steels, stainless, aluminum, copper alloys, Invar 36, Inconel, plus high-strength steels including 300M.
Technical Parameters
The numbers behind AMS 2403.
Use this matrix as a starting point when scoping a part to AMS 2403. 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 2403 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 2403 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 2403 § | 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 2403, NADCAP audit reference, lot ID, thickness verification, and bake record. |
Note: ranges shown are typical values consistent with public AMS 2403
guidance. The controlled specification governs the exact requirements for any given
part — Entech runs each AMS 2403 lot to the live, current revision of the
specification on file, with full traceability into the spec audit record.
The Pipeline
How Entech runs an AMS 2403 lot — from drawing to dock.
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.
Submit Drawing & AMS 2403 Callout
You send the part drawing, material certificate, finish callout, and any program-level spec requirements. We confirm AMS 2403 revision, allowable substrate, and any masking or selective-plate zones before quoting.
Process Review & Engineering Sign-off
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.
Plate to AMS 2403
Bath chemistry, temperature, and pH controlled to the AMS 2403 envelope. Real-time monitoring with daily titration. Thickness developed against the drawing tolerance, with selective masking applied where the print requires it.
Inspect, Document & Ship
Thickness verification, visual inspection, embrittlement-relief bake record, and certificate of conformance citing AMS 2403 and NADCAP CP. Packaged for international export and shipped on schedule worldwide.
Where This Fits
Related approvals, sibling specs, and the parent process.
AMS 2403 lives inside a larger landscape of SAE International and aerospace-industry approvals. Here’s how to navigate from this page to the closest neighbours.
Hub — All customer-specific approvals
Sibling specs — other Collins / landing-gear approvals
Parent process — the underlying service
Decide which spec fits your part
Frequently Asked
AMS 2403 — the questions buyers ask us most.
Direct answers, with the specification numbers, certification IDs, and validity dates that aerospace procurement engineers need to evidence sourcing.
Q: Is Entech approved for SAE International AMS 2403?
A: Yes. Entech holds active SAE International AMS 2403 approval as an approved processor on the public NADCAP-accredited shop list, executed under our NADCAP Chemical Processing accreditation (Cert 24321236442) valid through February 28, 2027.
Q: What is AMS 2403?
A: AMS 2403 is SAE International Landing Gear Plating Specification 1108, the electroless nickel plating standard for landing-gear and related aerospace structural components manufactured under SAE International programs.
Q: What substrates does Entech plate to AMS 2403?
A: Entech plates to AMS 2403 on carbon and alloy steels, stainless steel, aluminum, copper alloys, Invar 36, Inconel, and high-strength alloys including 300M. Each substrate has a tailored preparation, activation, and post-treatment sequence.
Q: Does Entech ship AMS 2403 work internationally?
A: Yes. Entech ships AMS 2403-processed components worldwide, with established workflows for Canadian, US, UK, French, and German aerospace customers.
Q: How do I request an AMS 2403 quote from Entech?
A: Submit a quote request at https://enplating.com/contactus with your part drawing, material, and finish callout. Entech responds with a process review and quote within one business day.
Talk to a process engineer about your AMS 2403 part.
Send us the drawing, material certificate, and finish callout. We’ll confirm the AMS 2403 revision against your program, scope the route, and respond with a quote and lead time inside one business day.
Cert 24321236442 · NADCAP CP through Feb 28, 2027 · AS9100D · Worldwide shipping