Hardide Regulatory News (HDD)

17 December 2015

Hardide plc

("Hardide" or "the Company")

Airbus Technical Performance Requirements

Hardide plc (AIM: HDD), the provider of surface coating technology, is pleased to announce that its Hardide-A coating has met Airbus technical performance requirements as a potential alternative to hard chrome plating and is now available for consideration by design engineers and sub-contractors on some specific Airbus aircraft components.

Meeting this technical performance level comes after eight years of Hardide's development and testing of the coating as a potential alternative to hard chrome plating, which is used extensively on airframe and landing gear components. Hardide-A, a variant of the Company's tungsten/tungsten carbide coating range, has successfully passed necessary tests and met technical performance requirements defined in the Airbus Process Specification for thick CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) Tungsten Carbide coatings.

Commenting on the announcement, Philip Kirkham, CEO of Hardide plc said: "After many years of hard work, it is a huge step forward for Hardide-A to have achieved the Airbus technical performance requirements necessary for it to be considered by designers for use on selected component parts for Airbus aircraft. This is a significant achievement and we are absolutely delighted that the coating is now available to the designers for their consideration as a potential alternative to hard chrome within some specific aircraft applications. Selection of the coating by the designers will be based on further technical and commercial considerations as well as part-specific testing.

"This success is a key enabler for the Company's further growth in the European, North American and wider aerospace markets which have enormous potential for the Hardide coating technology."

Hard chrome plating has been used in the aerospace industry for many years. The EU REACH regulation will ban its use by 2017 unless otherwise authorised by the EU Commission.

ENDS

For further information:

Notes to editors:

www.hardide.com

Hardide develops, manufactures and applies advanced technology tungsten-carbide coatings to a wide range of engineering components. Its patented technology is unique in combining, in one material, a mix of toughness and resistance to abrasion, erosion and corrosion; together with the ability to coat accurately interior surfaces and complex geometries. The material is proven to offer dramatic improvements in component life, particularly when applied to components that operate in very aggressive environments. This results in cost savings through reduced downtime and increased operational efficiency. Customers include leading companies operating in oil and gas exploration and production, valve and pump manufacturing, nuclear, advanced engineering and aerospace industries.