Patent ID: 7815784

Claim:
A method of coating a flexible component comprising the steps of: providing an electrolytic bath including metallic ions and tribological particles in suspension; providing a pair of anodes; placing the flexible structure in the bath between the anodes, the flexible structure acting as the cathode and including an outer surface in proximity to the anodes and an inner surface, opposite the outer surface; agitating the electrolytic bath so as to keep the majority of metallic ions and tribological particles in suspension; applying sufficient electrical current such that the metallic ions and tribological particles migrate toward the flexible structure and are codeposited as a coating substantially only on the outer surface of the flexible structure as a composite coating with uniformly dispersed tribological particles with over 50% of the tribological particles having a size less than about 4 μm, controlling the time and the density of the electrical current in order to produce a coating of a desired thickness on the outer surface of the flexible component; and further comprising the step of maintaining the current density in the range of about 25-144 amps/sq. ft, maintaining a pH of the bath in the range of about 0.8-2, and maintaining the temperature of the bath in the range of about 120-180° F.