ColoradoKote
Precision Cerakote ceramic coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
Three Stages of AM Post-Processing
Material-specific protocols protect fine AM features while transforming surface finish from prototype to production grade.
Contaminant Removal Without Damage
Ultrasonic cleaning removes residual powder, support material, and machining residues from AM parts. Frequency and solution chemistry are matched to the substrate material. Polymer parts receive gentle treatment to preserve thin walls and fine features.
Thin-Film Application Preserves Tolerances
Cerakote® is applied at 0.5-2 mils, reducing surface roughness from Ra 8-15 micrometers to below 3 micrometers. Material-specific blast pressures create adhesion profiles without dimensional distortion on thin-walled geometries.
Dimensional Confirmation by CMM
Post-coating CMM measurement verifies dimensional tolerances remain within ±0.0002 inches. Surface roughness readings are documented per customer requirements. A full Certificate of Conformance accompanies every shipment.
The AM Post-Processing Workflow
Additive manufacturing parts arrive with inherent surface roughness and limited environmental resistance. ColoradoKote addresses both challenges with a thin-film ceramic coating that improves finish quality while maintaining the dimensional accuracy that makes AM viable for production applications.
What Our AM Processing Delivers
Every AM part receives incoming dimensional verification, material-specific processing, and post-coating measurement.
Surface Roughness After Coating
Raw AM parts arrive with Ra 8-15 micrometers on polymer substrates. Cerakote® post-processing reduces roughness below 3 micrometers, eliminating visible layer lines while adding corrosion and wear protection in a single operation.
AM Parts Per Week Capacity
Dedicated equipment and material-specific protocols maintain consistent throughput across polymer and metal AM substrates. Parts move through post-processing on schedule without waiting behind traditional machined components.
Dimensional Tolerance Maintained
Cerakote® 0.5-2 mil thickness preserves tight tolerances that make AM valuable for production parts. Threaded features, press-fit interfaces, and close clearances retain functional accuracy after coating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about our coating processes and technical capabilities
Yes. Multiple layers of marine paint, antifouling coatings, and zinc-rich primers create complex contamination that must be fully removed before applying new protective coatings. Ultrasonic cavitation assists chemical stripping by driving cleaning solution into the coating layer interfaces and substrate surface, ensuring complete removal of all old coating material. This thorough removal is critical because residual old coating prevents adhesion of the new Cerakote system and traps corrosion-initiating contaminants against the substrate.
Standard turnaround is 14 days for chemical conversion coating, with 7-day and 3-day expedited options available for seasonal production crunches. We understand that agricultural equipment manufacturing often peaks before planting and harvest seasons, and our expedited service helps keep your production line moving. Over 20,000 parts processed with zero quality issues ensures reliable throughput.
Yes. We coat sprayer booms, nozzle bodies, fittings, and irrigation hardware that face constant moisture and chemical exposure. Passivation for stainless steel components and chemical conversion for aluminum parts ensure proper substrate preparation before Cerakote topcoat application. This multi-layer approach provides comprehensive corrosion protection for equipment that operates in perpetually wet conditions.
Additive manufactured parts, particularly metal AM in stainless steel and titanium, benefit from Cerakote's 3,000-hour salt spray protection to address the surface porosity and roughness inherent in as-printed parts. Our passivation and chemical conversion pre-treatments seal the substrate before Cerakote application, creating a comprehensive corrosion barrier. This makes AM parts viable for end-use applications in corrosive environments rather than just prototyping.
Cerakote's performance comes from its ceramic-polymer hybrid chemistry, which creates a dense, cross-linked barrier at the molecular level when cured at 250-300 degrees F. The 3,000-hour salt spray rating (ASTM B117) reflects continuous exposure to 5% salt fog at 95 degrees F, a test far more aggressive than real-world service conditions. Surface preparation, including cleaning and media blasting at 80-100 PSI, ensures the coating bonds directly to a clean, profiled substrate with no contaminants to create failure initiation points.
Ready to Finish Your AM Parts
Send your part specifications and material details. Receive a quote with lead time and processing parameters for your additive manufacturing application.