Cerakote for Industrial OEM
Precision Cerakote ceramic coatings for aerospace, defense, and industrial components.
Why Industrial OEMs Need Cerakote
Where multi-vendor complexity meets coating failure
The challenge
Harsh environments demand coatings that hold.
The solution
ColoradoKote ceramic coating stops corrosion cold.
Why ColoradoKote Cerakote for Industrial OEM
One coating partner for every substrate in your BOM
4,000+ hours corrosion protection
Salt spray resistance validated per ASTM B117 at 4,000+ hours, compared to 1,000-2,000 hours for standard powder coating and 500-1,000 hours for Parkerizing. The ceramic-polymer barrier resists hydraulic fluids, solvents, mild acids, and alkaline cleaning solutions per ASTM D1308. Components stay protected in chemical processing, wash-down, and coastal environments for years, not months.
Thin-film tolerance preservation at 0.5-2 mils
Powder coating at 4-6 mils causes threaded fasteners to bind, bearing fits to shift, and mating surfaces to require post-coating machining. Cerakote at 0.5-2 mils maintains interference fits and close-tolerance assemblies without dimensional rework. Selective masking protects datum features, O-ring grooves, and reference surfaces where zero buildup is required.
ISO 9001 documentation on every job
Every coating parameter is documented per ISO 9001:2015 requirements. Certificate of Conformance includes material batch numbers, application parameters, cure records, and inspection results. One quality system covers all substrates, eliminating the multiple audit trails that come with managing separate coating vendors.
Multi-substrate consolidation from one source
Cerakote bonds to aluminum, steel, stainless steel, titanium, and composites. One coating process, one quality package, and one vendor qualification covers your entire parts portfolio regardless of substrate material. OEMs that previously managed 3-4 coating vendors consolidate to ColoradoKote, reducing procurement overhead and eliminating cross-vendor color matching inconsistency.
Cerakote Specifications for Industrial OEM
How We Apply Cerakote for Industrial OEM Parts
ISO 9001 documented from surface preparation through final inspection
Substrate-Specific Surface Preparation
Each industrial alloy receives tailored preparation for maximum coating adhesion. Steel components undergo abrasive blasting to establish surface profile. Aluminum parts receive conversion coating per applicable specification. Stainless steel and titanium follow material-specific cleaning and profiling sequences. Ultrasonic cleaning removes cutting fluids, oils, and embedded contaminants. Precision masking protects threads, bearing journals, mating surfaces, and datum features from any coating buildup.
Controlled Thin-Film Cerakote Application
Cerakote is applied via calibrated HVLP equipment in monitored layers targeting 0.5-2 mil thickness. In-process DFT measurements confirm dimensional compliance on every part, ensuring tight tolerances are preserved across the production run. The same Cerakote formulation bonds to aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and titanium without requiring separate processes, so mixed-substrate batches move through one application cycle.
Inspection, Documentation, and Shipping
Multi-point final inspection verifies coating thickness (DFT gauge), adhesion (ASTM D3359), color consistency (spectrophotometer), and visual appearance against acceptance criteria. Certificate of Conformance documents all measurements, material batch numbers, and process parameters. ISO 9001 quality records provide full traceability for customer audits and warranty documentation. Parts ship with complete documentation or electronic records upon request.
Proven Cerakote Performance for Industrial OEM
Industrial coating performance is verified through standardized ASTM testing, not manufacturer claims. Every production batch undergoes the same quality checks under ISO 9001 controls, and results are documented on your Certificate of Conformance with full lot traceability.
4,000+ hours salt spray resistance
Validated against ASTM B117, the standard used across manufacturing industries to qualify corrosion protection coatings. Powder coating typically reaches 1,000-2,000 hours before failure. Parkerizing provides 500-1,000 hours on steel substrates only. Cerakote delivers 4,000+ hours across all metal substrates, from aluminum pump housings to stainless steel valve bodies, eliminating the need for substrate-specific coating systems. Chrome plating achieves comparable corrosion protection but generates hazardous waste that Cerakote eliminates entirely.
Hours salt spray resistance (ASTM B117)
Other services to consider
Explore what else we offer.
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.
Certified and compliant for your industry
Start Your Industrial OEM Project
Send your part details for a quote. We respond within 24 hours with approach and pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about our coating processes and technical capabilities
Defense components require contamination-free surfaces for both coating adhesion and, in many cases, function. Ultrasonic cleaning removes machining fluids, preservation oils, and handling contamination from weapon system components, optics housings, and electronic enclosures. All cleaning on defense parts is performed under ITAR controls within our registered facility. Cleaning parameters and verification results are documented to meet both AS9100 and defense-specific quality requirements.
Ultrasonic cleaning uses a transducer to generate 40 kHz sound waves in a cleaning solution, creating millions of microscopic cavitation bubbles. These bubbles form and collapse rapidly, producing localized high-energy implosions that dislodge contaminants from surfaces, blind holes, internal passages, and complex geometries. The 40 kHz frequency provides an effective balance between cleaning aggressiveness and surface safety for the range of substrates we process. Cleaning solution chemistry is matched to the substrate material and contamination type.
Yes. Aerospace cabin interiors demand exact color consistency across thousands of parts produced over extended timeframes. ColoradoKote verifies every production lot by spectrophotometer to Delta E 1.5, ensuring parts coated months apart are visually identical. Our 20,000+ parts track record with zero quality issues demonstrates the process consistency required for cabin interior programs where color variation is immediately visible to passengers and auditors.
Yes. Metal AM parts in Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel, and 316L stainless steel are increasingly used for downhole tools with complex geometries that cannot be conventionally machined. Cerakote seals the surface porosity inherent in AM builds and provides corrosion protection exceeding 3,000 hours salt spray against H2S, CO2, and brine. Our 40-60 PSI blasting prepares AM surfaces without distorting the complex internal passages that make additive manufacturing valuable for downhole applications.
Yes, and this is one of our most valuable additive manufacturing workflows. Passivation first cleans and protects the stainless substrate, then Cerakote adds 3,000 hours of salt spray resistance (ASTM B117) at just 0.5-2 mils. For AM parts, the thin Cerakote layer preserves fine features and tolerances that thicker coatings like powder coat (4-6 mils) would compromise. Few coating shops offer this passivation-to-Cerakote stack under one roof.