Defence
Naval · Land · Ammunition · Airborne systems
Corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant alloys for naval, land and airborne systems and for ammunition, melted and worked in Europe and traceable to the heat.
- 50+ years
- Copper alloys resisting seawater corrosion
- Bornel
- Ammunition components produced in France
- 80%+
- Of our raw metal comes from recycled sources
Defence
Alloys for naval, land and airborne defence systems, and for ammunition
Defence programmes require an alloy that resists seawater for decades, carries high loads in moving parts, and comes from a supply chain the programme controls. We provide copper-nickel, nickel aluminium bronze and copper-nickel-tin alloys melted and worked in our European plants, traced from the heat to the part. Our metallurgists select the grade with your engineers, then we keep it available for repair and MRO.
Frigates and submarines run our alloys in seawater cooling and fire-fighting circuits, valve bodies, fixings and propulsion bearings. Land and airborne systems use them in high-load bearings, bushings and actuators, in ammunition components made at Bornel, and in connectors, shielding and cabling. Export-control discipline applies to every order.
Seawater corrosion
Nickel aluminium bronze is our first alloy for seawater: NC4 (CuAl10Ni5Fe4) and CA104 (compliant with BS B23) serve valves, fittings and pump parts. Navinic 30 (CuNi30Mn1Fe, compliant with ASTM B466 and MIL C 15726) covers piping, cooling circuits and condensers.
Load and wear
Hardibron® (CuNi14Al3Fe1) reaches a guaranteed minimum tensile strength of 780 MPa and a hardness of 240 HB for bearings and bushings under high load. Hardiall® offers a beryllium-free route for friction parts.
Sovereign supply
Our alloys are melted and worked in European plants, from raw metal that is more than 80% recycled, with full traceability and export-control discipline on every order.
Substitution of critical materials
Beryllium-free copper-nickel-tin grades replace copper beryllium in friction parts and shielding. Lead-free ranges such as EnviB® answer lead regulation, and UC500 (CuCrZr) replaces copper-cadmium in high-strength cabling.
Group certifications
Certified across our sites
ISO 9001
Quality management, all 12 sites.
EN 9100
Aerospace production at Suippes, M Lego and MEA.
EN 9120
Aerospace distribution at LBA Services Europe, LBA UK, LBA Asia and LBA NA.
ISO 14001
Environmental management at Suippes, Breteuil, Rydzyna, AW Fraser and LBA UK.
ISO 45001
Health and safety at Suippes and Bornel.
Nadcap
Heat treatment, Suippes.
Applications
Where our alloys serve on a platform
Seawater circuits, valves and fittings for frigates and submarines
Seawater cooling, fire-fighting and ballast systems, valve bodies, fixings, bolts and nuts run on nickel aluminium bronze and copper-nickel. NC4 and CA104 (compliant with BS B23) resist erosion and seawater, and Navinic 30 comes as bars, hollow bars and tubes.
Bearings, bushings and actuators under high load
Propulsion shafts, stern-tube bearings, swash plates and actuator raceways need an alloy that wears slowly and keeps its strength. Hardibron®, K5B (compliant with DEFSTAN 02-835) and NCS cover these parts in bars, and Hardiall® gives a beryllium-free option.
Connectors, shielding and high-strength cabling
ARCAP® nickel silvers machine into non-magnetic connector bodies, including optical fibre connectors. Niclafor® 1000 strip shields electronics against interference, and UC500 wire carries current in high-strength defence cabling.
Ammunition components made in France
Our Bornel plant produces strips, wires and precision products for ammunition components.
Proof
In service
Friction and actuation components
- The stake
- High-load moving parts, with sovereignty constraints on where the material comes from.
- Our response
- A beryllium-free Hardiall® route, melted and worked in Europe.
- The result
- Performance, with better health and safety at the shop and a resilient supply.
Seawater circuits
- The stake
- Corrosion over decades at sea.
- Our response
- Copper-nickel systems with full traceability from the heat to the fitting.
- The result
- Long-life, programme-critical supply.
Products · tagged for this market
Products tagged for this market
31 variants tagged for this market.
CuNiFe
ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · CN 102 · EEMUA 234
CuNiFe
ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · CN 102 · EEMUA 234
CuNiFe
ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · CN 102 · EEMUA 234
CuNiFe
ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · CN 102 · EEMUA 234
CuNiMn
ASTM B171 · ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · MIL C 15726
CuNiMn
ASTM B171 · ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · MIL C 15726
CuNiFe
ASTM B171 · ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · MIL C 15726
CuNiMn
ASTM B171 · ASTM B466 · BS 2871 · BS 2874 · MIL C 15726
Talk to an engineer
Discuss your platform with our engineers.
- The right alloy for the part
- More than 250 alloys in our portfolio, supported by metallurgists who work with your engineers to select the right grade and temper.
- Substitutions developed in-house
- More than three million euros of self-funded R&D every year, driving beryllium-free and lead-free alternatives.
- Stock and MRO continuity
- Service centres on three continents hold local stock, ship small quantities fast and keep material available for repair.