Abrasion and Wear Protection
Precision Cerakote ceramic coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
What Happens When Wear Goes Unchecked
Moving parts, abrasive particles, handling impacts, and chemical exposure degrade unprotected surfaces in every operating cycle. Sand, dust, and grit score metal. Repeated contact strips material away. By the time wear becomes visible, the part has already moved out of tolerance and compromised the system around it.
- Unplanned downtime: Worn components force equipment offline for inspection and replacement, costing thousands per hour in production environments
- Accelerating failure: Surface damage exposes base material to corrosion and chemical attack, compounding the original wear damage
- Tolerance loss: Abrasion removes material from precision surfaces, pushing parts beyond dimensional limits and triggering scrap or rework
How Ceramic Coating Defeats Surface Wear
Cerakote® creates a ceramic-polymer matrix that bonds at the molecular level with the substrate. The ceramic particles deliver 9H pencil hardness, the maximum on the ASTM D3363 scale, while the polymer matrix absorbs impact energy without cracking. The result is a coating that is hard enough to resist abrasion yet flexible enough to survive mechanical shock.
- Abrasion resistance: 8,000+ wear cycles per mil (ASTM D4060), outperforming Teflon coatings by more than 8 to 1 in standardized Taber testing
- Impact strength: 160/160 in-lbs direct and reverse impact (ASTM D2794) with no cracking or delamination, unlike hard anodizing which fractures under shock
- Low friction: Elite Series achieves a coefficient of friction of approximately 0.11, rivaling Teflon dry lubricity while maintaining superior hardness and wear life
Tested and Verified Wear Performance
Every wear performance claim is verified through independent laboratory testing per ASTM standards. Results are documented under AS9100:2015 quality controls with full traceability from raw material to finished part. Test reports are available for download upon request.
- Pencil hardness (ASTM D3363): 9H, the maximum rating on the scale, exceeding Type III hard anodizing at 7H-8H and powder coating at 4H-6H
- Impact resistance (ASTM D2794): 160/160 in-lbs with zero cracking or delamination, more than double the 20-40 in-lbs typical of aerospace paint systems
- Taber abrasion (ASTM D4060): 8,000+ wear cycles per mil, verified against Teflon coatings at under 1,000 cycles under identical test conditions
- Flexibility (ASTM D522): 180-degree mandrel bend with 0 mm coating loss, proving the coating resists wear without becoming brittle
- Certification stack: AS9100:2015, ISO 9001:2015, ITAR registered, and Cerakote® Advanced Applicator, the highest tier from NIC Industries held by fewer than 5% of applicators
Industries That Need Wear Protection
Abrasion-resistant ceramic coating for high-wear components.
Weight Reduction for Oil and Gas Equipment
Thick coatings add mass to equipment transported to remote wellsites and offshore platforms. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils saves 200-400g per part versus powder coating. ISO 9001 certified.
Weight Reduction for Medical Device Components
Surgical instruments must be light enough for hours of precise use. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils saves 200-400g per part versus powder coating without compromising protection. ISO 9001 certified.
Weight Reduction for Maritime Equipment
Heavy coatings add mass to marine hardware that affects vessel performance and handling. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils saves 200-400g per part versus powder coating. ISO 9001 certified.
Weight Reduction for Industrial OEM Components
Thick coatings add unnecessary mass to engineered equipment. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils delivers 200-400g savings per part versus powder coating while preserving tolerances. ISO 9001 certified.
Weight Reduction for Defense and Tactical Equipment
Tactical systems carry weight penalties from thick coatings that reduce mobility and increase operator fatigue. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils saves 200-400g per part. ITAR registered, AS9100 certified.
Weight Reduction for Automotive R&D Prototypes
Every 100 lbs of EV mass costs 2-3 percent range. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils saves 200-400g per part versus powder coating, protecting prototypes without adding mass. ISO 9001 certified.
Weight Reduction for Agriculture Equipment
Heavy coatings add mass to field equipment that operators must handle and transport. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils saves 200-400g per part versus powder coating. ISO 9001 certified.
Weight Reduction for Aerospace Components
Thick coatings add avoidable weight to lightweighted airframe structures. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils delivers 200-400g savings per part versus powder coating. AS9100-certified with full traceability.
How We Deliver Wear Protection
Full protection at 0.5-2 mils versus 4-6 mils for powder coating.
High-velocity application
Atomized coating reaches every surface and crevice.
Complete submersion coating
Total coverage for complex geometries and internal passages.
Precision hand application
Controlled placement for selective protection on assemblies.
Charged particle deposition
Uniform thickness with minimal overspray and material waste.
Aerospace fasteners tested in the field
A military contractor needed corrosion resistance on landing gear fasteners exposed to salt spray and thermal cycling. ColoradoKote's ceramic coating passed 5,000+ hours of ASTM B117 testing with zero red rust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about our coating processes and technical capabilities
When a downhole tool or surface component fails, traditional manufacturing replacement can take weeks or months. AM production combined with ColoradoKote's expedited 3-day post-processing delivers finished, coated replacement parts in a fraction of that timeline. The combination of additive manufacturing flexibility and our controlled post-processing sequence, including corrosion protection exceeding 3,000 hours salt spray, means replacement parts meet the same performance standards as originally manufactured components.
The Cerakote color catalog includes 200+ standard colors across the H-Series, Elite, and V-Series product lines. Standard colors ship from NIC Industries inventory, which means no custom formulation lead time. For applications requiring a specific non-standard color, custom formulation through Cerakote is possible but involves higher cost and additional development time. We help you identify the closest standard color match before recommending custom formulation.
Yes. Oil and gas operators use color coding for equipment identification, pressure ratings, and service type classification. Cerakote provides color durability that survives wellsite chemical exposure, UV degradation, and abrasion that rapidly degrades conventional paint systems. We match your operator-specified colors by spectrophotometer to Delta E 1.5 and verify consistency across production quantities so field identification remains reliable throughout equipment service life.
Standard blasting operates at 80-100 PSI for metal substrates, achieving SSPC-SP 10 near-white blast cleanliness and a 2-4 mil anchor profile optimized for Cerakote adhesion. For delicate substrates including additive manufacturing parts and thin-wall components, we reduce pressure to 40-60 PSI to prevent distortion while still achieving proper surface profile. All blast parameters are documented under our AS9100 quality system.
Yes. Industrial OEMs increasingly require equipment components to match corporate brand colors for visual identity and professional appearance. We capture your brand color standard by spectrophotometer and verify every production lot to Delta E 1.5. Cerakote's durability means your brand color survives the industrial operating environment, unlike conventional paint that fades and chips within months of field deployment.
Protect Your Parts From Wear
Request a wear protection quote. We respond within 24 hours with technical approach and pricing.