RFI’s Transition to More Sustainable Aluminium Surface Treatments

Investing in a Better Future

At RFI, we are committed to continually improving our products and manufacturing processes while maintaining the performance, quality and reliability our customers have come to expect.

As part of this commitment, we are currently updating our aluminium manufacturing processes to improve sustainability and environmental responsibility. During this transition, you may notice a change in the appearance of some RFI aluminium products. The traditional gold-coloured finish associated with legacy hexavalent chromate coatings will gradually be replaced with a clear, almost raw aluminium appearance resulting from our new RoHS-compliant surface treatment.

Transition to Ecofilm® Surface Treatment

RFI is expanding the Ecofilm treatment normally used in our corporate fed and meander antenna products for over 20 years to all aluminium products from traditional chromate-based treatments.

This change applies across our aluminium product portfolio, including Australian-made base station antennas and system components.

The treatment is also widely approved and utilised within aerospace and military applications due to its proven corrosion-resistant properties.

Ecofilm® provides:

• Excellent long-term corrosion protection
• Consistent performance in harsh and maritime environments
• Outstanding suitability for the aluminium alloys used by RFI (5000 and 6000 series)
• Reliable electrical conductivity for RF performance and grounding applications

Corrosion Protection You Can Trust

Ecofilm® creates a durable conversion coating on aluminium surfaces, providing exceptional corrosion resistance. Independent testing has demonstrated performance exceeding 1,000 hours of neutral salt spray exposure on many aluminium alloys, meeting or surpassing the performance of traditional chromate coatings in most applications.

Our Ongoing Commitment

RFI has built its reputation on delivering class-leading communications solutions trusted by customers across government, defence, public safety, telecommunications and critical infrastructure sectors worldwide.

This latest initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to:

• Continuous product improvement
• Environmentally responsible manufacturing
• Long-term customer reliability
• Compliance with current and emerging global standards

We remain committed to delivering robust, high-performance solutions engineered to meet today's requirements and tomorrow's expectations.

If you would like further information regarding this change or its impact on specific products, please contact your RFI representative or our customer support team.