Defense and Military
Precision Cerakote ceramic coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
What Defense Demands
Zero tolerance for compliance failure
Wear Protection That Keeps Equipment in Service
Surface wear shortens component life and drives unplanned maintenance. Ceramic coating delivers 9H hardness with 160/160 in-lbs impact strength (ASTM verified).
Corrosion-Resistant Cerakote® Coating
3,000 hours of ASTM B117 salt spray resistance. Molecular-level protection for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
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 Defense Performance
ColoradoKote delivers ceramic coating with the mil-spec compliance, corrosion protection, and wear resistance that defense applications demand, backed by ITAR registration and AS9100 certification.
Defense components face simultaneous exposure to corrosion, abrasion, chemical decontamination, and thermal cycling. Cerakote® ceramic coating provides a single protective barrier that addresses all four threat vectors in a thin-film application at 0.5–2 mils.
Our ITAR-registered facility and AS9100-certified quality system ensure that every coating application meets the documentation and traceability standards that defense procurement requires.
Why Cerakote® Outperforms Conventional Mil-Spec Finishes
Mil-spec phosphate and parkerizing provide limited corrosion protection. Hard chrome plating faces environmental restrictions. Anodizing works only on aluminum. Cerakote bonds to all defense metals and composites with 3,000+ hours salt spray resistance, 9H hardness, and chemical decontamination resistance in one application.
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 for Defense
ITAR-controlled process with documented chain of custody
Receiving & Specification Review
Components received under ITAR-controlled protocols. Parts inspected, photographed, and logged against purchase order. Mil-spec requirements and engineering drawings reviewed before processing.
Surface Preparation & Masking
Media blasting to specified surface profile. Critical interfaces, datum features, and electrical contact points masked per engineering requirements. Ultrasonic cleaning removes contaminants and preservatives.
Application, Cure & Inspection
Cerakote® applied per specification with thickness verification at multiple points. Oven-cured per manufacturer parameters. Post-cure inspection includes thickness, adhesion, color verification, and visual examination. Certificate of Conformance with full chain-of-custody documentation accompanies every shipment.
Defense and Tactical Equipment We Coat
From weapon system components to field support equipment
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
3,000+ Hours Salt Spray Resistance
ASTM B117 verified. Molecular-level corrosion barrier withstands desert salt flats, coastal operations, and chemical decontamination cycles that strip conventional military finishes.
Full Mil-Spec Documentation
Certificate of Conformance with every shipment. ITAR-controlled material traceability, application parameters, cure data, thickness measurements, adhesion results, and color verification. First Article Inspection (AS9102) available.
9H Hardness, Impact & Abrasion Resistance
ASTM D3363 pencil hardness and ASTM D4060 Taber abrasion verified. Impact strength: 160/160 in-lbs per ASTM D2794. Protects tactical equipment from field abuse, sand erosion, and operational wear.
Chemical Decontamination Resistant
Cerakote® maintains adhesion and barrier integrity through CBRN decontamination protocols that destroy conventional paint systems. Consistent performance verified across production lots with documented quality data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about our coating processes and technical capabilities
Yes. Abrasion resistance of 4,000 cycles per mil (ASTM D4060) and 9H pencil hardness (ASTM D3363) provide substantial protection against the grinding abrasion of soil, sand, and crop material on coulter blades, seed openers, ground-engaging tools, and conveyor surfaces. For high-wear components, the full stack of chemical conversion coating plus Cerakote maximizes adhesion so the coating stays bonded under sustained abrasive contact.
Medical devices require thorough removal of machining fluids, particulate debris, and handling contamination before coating application. Ultrasonic cavitation reaches contaminants in the complex geometries typical of medical instruments and devices, including lumens, articulating joints, and textured surfaces. Cleaning solution is selected for biocompatibility and substrate compatibility. Verification confirms surfaces are clean to the standard required for the device classification and intended use.
Yes. We match defense color requirements to MIL-STD specifications using spectrophotometer measurement. The Cerakote color catalog includes standard military colors, and custom matching is available for specific specification callouts. Delta E 1.5 verification ensures compliance with the visual acceptance criteria in most military coating specifications. All color documentation ships with the Certificate of Conformance for your quality records.
Performance and racing applications increasingly use AM for intake manifolds, brackets, sensor housings, and custom ducting with optimized geometries. ColoradoKote's post-processing transforms these raw prints into professional, functional components. Cerakote reduces surface roughness from Ra 8-15 micrometers to below 3 micrometers for improved airflow on intake components, adds thermal barrier properties for heat management, and provides the durability to survive race conditions. Custom color matching to team or sponsor colors is available to Delta E 1.5.
Precision agriculture drives demand for custom sensor housings, metering components, and application nozzles with complex internal geometries. AM produces these designs efficiently, and ColoradoKote's post-processing adds the durability for field deployment. Cerakote seals AM porosity against moisture and chemical ingress, reduces surface roughness below 3 micrometers for improved fluid flow in metering components, and provides UV stability for season-long outdoor exposure. Standard 14-day turnaround supports planting and application season timelines.
Start Your Defense Project
Request an ITAR-compliant coating quote. We respond within 24 hours with pricing.