Executive Brief
Inequation Technology is a high-growth precision engineering firm specializing in disruptive thrust bearing technology. By utilizing patented architectures, they have achieved significant breakthroughs in loading limits (5-10x) and operational lifespan (10-20x) compared to industry standards. Their primary focus is on extreme environments within aeronautics, automotive, and high-precision industrial machinery where rotational speeds and axial loads push traditional materials to their physical limits.
Strategic Fit & Lead Score
Lead Score: 78 (Adjacent Tech / Strong Potential)
Why this Score? Inequation Technology has already innovated the geometry and mechanics of thrust bearings. However, to sustain a 10-20x lifetime improvement in aeronautics and high-speed automotive applications, they will eventually hit the "Tribological Ceiling" of traditional steel or ceramic materials. 6C’s CVD diamond represents the ultimate material evolution for their product—offering the lowest coefficient of friction and highest thermal conductivity available to man, which directly addresses the heat and wear bottlenecks inherent in high-speed bearings.
6C Solutions Proposal
| Application Area | 6C Solution | Technical Value Prop |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme Wear Surfaces | Thick-Film PCD Inserts | Integrating Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) onto bearing contact faces eliminates adhesive wear. Diamond's hardness (approx. 100 GPa) ensures the 10-20x lifetime claim is met even under contaminated or dry-run conditions. |
| Thermal Dissipation | PCD Heat Spreaders | High-speed bearings fail due to localized "hot spots." With thermal conductivity >2000 W/mK, 6C PCD can pull heat away from the bearing interface 5x faster than copper, preventing structural softening of the assembly. |
| Ultra-Precision Finishing | SCD Surface Processing | For "Precision Equipment" lines, 6C can provide Single Crystal Diamond (SCD) components or coatings with Ra < 1nm, reducing vibration (noise) and friction-induced torque losses to near-zero levels. |
| In-house Coating R&D | Custom MPCVD Reactor | As Inequation scales into aeronautics, bringing diamond-coating capability in-house via a 6C MPCVD system allows them to develop proprietary "Diamond-Enhanced" bearing grades while protecting their IP. |
| Sensory Bearings | BDD Functional Layers | Integration of Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) layers can turn a bearing surface into a smart sensor, monitoring electrochemical changes or wear-level telemetry in real-time. |
Engagement Hooks
- Technical Question: "As you push your loading limits to 10x the industry standard, is the limiting factor for your next generation of bearings the structural geometry or the thermal-mechanical breakdown of the contact interface material?"
- Value Statement: "6C can help Inequation Technology bridge the gap from 'High-Performance' to 'Limitless' by integrating CVD diamond surfaces that exhibit the lowest friction coefficient of any solid material, effectively cooling your bearings while they work."