Additive Manufacturing
Precision Cerakote ceramic coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
What additive manufacturing demands
Printing is 40% of the timeline
Cerakote® Color Consistency & Aesthetic Finishing
Delta E ≤1.5 color precision across production runs. 200+ standard colors. Spectrophotometer-verified on every batch.
Weight Reduction Without Sacrificing Protection
Thick coatings add weight that undermines lightweighting efforts. Ceramic coating at 0.5-2 mils delivers full protection with 200-400g savings per part versus powder coating.
Coatings engineered for AM production scale
Cerakote® ceramic coating transforms AM surface finish from rough prototype to production-ready quality, adding corrosion protection and professional aesthetics while maintaining the dimensional accuracy that additive manufacturing delivers.
3D-printed parts from SLS, MJF, and metal AM processes have inherent surface roughness (Ra 6–15 μm) that limits end-use applications. Cerakote® fills and smooths these surfaces to below Ra 3 μm while adding a ceramic barrier that provides corrosion resistance, chemical protection, and professional color.
Our material-specific protocols handle PA12 and PA11 nylon from SLS and MJF, plus metal AM substrates including DMLS stainless, titanium, and aluminum. Dimensional impact is minimal (+0.0001-0.0002"), preserving the precision that AM delivers.
Why Cerakote® Beats Traditional AM Post-Processing
Vapor smoothing alters geometry and is limited to specific polymers. Tumbling rounds edges and removes detail. Painting adds thickness without hardness. Cerakote provides 9H surface hardness, corrosion protection, and color in a 0.5–2 mil application that works on both polymer and metal AM parts without geometric distortion.
Certifications behind every coating
We hold the credentials your industry demands. Every coating we apply meets or exceeds the standards that keep your components performing.
AS9100 quality management
The highest standard for quality management in coating operations, ensuring our processes meet the most demanding traceability requirements.
ITAR defense manufacturing compliance
Authorized to handle controlled defense articles and technical data with proper security protocols.
ISO 9001 quality systems certification
Demonstrates our commitment to consistent quality and continuous improvement across all operations.
How we coat AM parts
Material-specific protocols for polymer and metal additive manufacturing
Material Assessment & Surface Analysis
Parts evaluated for AM process type, material, and surface condition. Surface roughness measured. Build orientation and support removal areas documented for preparation protocol selection.
Surface Preparation & Conditioning
Material-specific media blasting creates optimal adhesion profile without damaging fine features or thin walls. Ultrasonic cleaning removes residual powder, support material, and oils. Polymer parts verified for outgassing before coating.
Application, Cure & Quality Verification
Cerakote® applied in controlled layers optimized for AM surface geometry. Cure temperature matched to substrate material (lower temps for polymers, standard for metals). Post-cure inspection includes surface roughness measurement, thickness, adhesion, color, and dimensional verification.
What we coat in additive manufacturing
From production tooling and aerospace brackets to end-use consumer parts
Why Cerakote for Oil and Gas Weight Savings
Thin-film protection for demanding environments
Why Cerakote for Medical Weight Reduction
Thin-film protection for precision instruments
Why Cerakote for Maritime Weight Reduction
Thin-film saltwater protection at reduced mass
Why Cerakote for Industrial Weight Reduction
Thin-film protection that preserves design tolerances
What matters most
The performance data that matters for your operation
Surface Roughness: Ra 6–15 to Under 3 μm
Measurable surface finish improvement transforms rough AM parts to production-quality appearance. Corrosion resistance exceeds 3,000 hours ASTM B117 on metal AM substrates.
Full Process Documentation
Certificate of Conformance with every shipment. Material batch data, surface roughness measurements (before/after), cure parameters, thickness readings, and adhesion results. AS9100 documentation available for aerospace AM applications.
9H Hardness on AM Surfaces
ASTM D3363 verified. Transforms soft polymer AM surfaces to hard, scratch-resistant finish. Metal AM parts gain additional wear protection beyond base material hardness. Dimensional impact: +0.0001-0.0002".
200+ AM Parts Per Week Capacity
Transparent capacity with tiered lead times: 14-day standard, 7-day expedited, 3-day rush. Documented overflow partnerships ensure production schedules are maintained when volumes scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about our coating processes and technical capabilities
AM parts used in functional applications like jigs, fixtures, tooling, and end-use mechanical components benefit from Cerakote's 9H hardness and 4,000 cycles per mil abrasion resistance. The coating transforms the relatively soft surface of SLS nylon or the porous surface of metal AM into a hardened, wear-resistant finish. This extends the service life of AM production tooling and makes printed parts viable for high-wear applications.
Yes. Raw AM parts, particularly polymer SLS and MJF builds, have surface and near-surface porosity that allows moisture and chemical ingress. Cerakote fills and seals these pores during application, creating a continuous barrier layer at 0.5-2 mils thickness. This sealing effect provides corrosion protection exceeding 3,000 hours salt spray on metal AM parts and chemical resistance on polymer AM parts that raw printed surfaces cannot achieve.
Multi-service shops run Cerakote on shared equipment alongside anodizing, plating, and powder coating. Shared lines create cross-contamination risk, and operators split focus across different coating chemistries and application methods. ColoradoKote is a dedicated Cerakote facility. Our equipment, training, and quality system are built around ceramic coating exclusively. This specialization is why we maintain 3,000 hours salt spray resistance and Delta E 1.5 color consistency across spec-proven production programs.
Passivation is the essential first step for stainless steel in multi-layer aerospace coating systems. By removing free iron and maximizing surface chromium, passivation creates a clean, corrosion-resistant substrate for topcoats like Cerakote. The full stack of passivation plus Cerakote delivers 3,000 hours of salt spray protection (ASTM B117) at just 0.5-2 mils of topcoat. Few shops offer this combined capability under one roof, especially with aerospace-grade process control.
Medical instruments use color coding for size differentiation, sterile versus non-sterile designation, and instrument set identification. Cerakote on AM-produced instruments provides durable color that withstands repeated autoclave sterilization without fading or chipping. We verify color consistency to Delta E 1.5 across production lots, ensuring that color-coded AM instruments remain reliably identifiable throughout their service life. The combined surface finishing and color identification makes AM viable for production medical instruments.
Start Your AM Coating Project
Send part files for a coating quote. We respond within 24 hours with pricing.