Cerakote for 3D-Printed Parts
A versatile ceramic finish for high-performing parts.
Benefits of Adding Cerakote to 3D-Printed Parts
Cerakote is a high-quality, rugged coating for a wide variety of printed parts, independent of the printing process you choose. It’s known for four primary qualities:
Durability: As a ceramic, Cerakote provides excellent resistance to abrasion, scratching, as well as everyday wear and tear.
Resistance: Cerakote won’t fade in UV light; resists solvents, acids, and alkalis, and some formulations withstand high heat.
Versatility: Cerakote can coat a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and polymers for even intricate parts.
Aesthetics: This highly attractive finish comes in dozens of colors. Some hues offer glossy, matte, or satin finish.
Design Guidelines for Cerakote Finishing
All finishes have rules that help you get the best application for your parts. One thing you generally don’t have to worry about is the thickness the coating adds. Unless you have extremely tight tolerances, a Cerakote coating will have no effect on your desired specifications.
Material CompatibilityAll of the 3D printing materials that we offer—plastics, metals, and elastomers—are compatible with Cerakote, but remember that the series you choose needs to be sensitive to the material from which the part is made and especially consider its melting point. For example, if your part is made of a heat-sensitive material, you should use the C series because it’s air-cured, as opposed to the H and Elite series, which require that your parts go into an oven. |
3D Printing ProcessWhatever printing process you choose could affect the way your parts look after getting finished. For example, SLS and SLA parts will likely require less surface preparation than something printed via FDM. Layer lines may also show through—another reason to prepare your part as noted in the next section.
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Surface PreparationTo enhance the quality of your Cerakote application, we will thoroughly clean each part to remove oils, dust, and other contaminants. If a part needs a smooth finish, we have methods to take care of that prior to application. If you need a textured surface, we can use abrasives to create that effect prior to applying Cerakote.
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Fundamentally, it’s important to ensure that the company applying the coating is certified to do so. In the long run, that will provide the best results.
Materials Available for Cerakote Finishing
As noted above, Cerakote can finish any parts we 3D-print, independent of material, including:
- Plastics: ABS, PA (Nylon), Polycarbonate (PA), Polypropylene (PP)
- Metals: Aluminum, Cobalt Chrome, Inconel, Stainless Steel, Titanium
- Elastomer: TPU 70-A
- Digital Photopolymer (30A-95A)
Cerakote's Affect on Part Geometry
Because the Cerakote application is quite thin, in almost every case you don’t need to compensate for its thickness. It will not cause a part to fall outside of our standard tolerance.
Available Cerakote Finishes
Different types of common Cerakote coatings have their own physical characteristics. Here’s a quick comparison guide:
C Series: Excels in UV stability, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. Durability/hardness are strong, though it’s not as corrosion resistant as some other options. More than 50 colors available.
H Series: Excels at durability, corrosion- and chemical-resistance, and thermal stability. Not as UV-resistant as other options. Accepts some flexibility in your part. Perfect for tight tolerance applications. More than 100 colors available.
F Series: Excels at durability, corrosion- and chemical-resistance, and thermal stability. Not as UV-resistant as other options. Perfect for tight tolerance applications. Coating cures in 15 minutes.
Elite Series: Excels at durability, corrosion- and chemical-resistance, and thermal stability. Not as UV-resistant as other options.
Glacier Series: Excels at UV stability, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. Other options have better corrosion resistance and durability.
Applications for Cerakote Finishes
Aerospace
The need to survive extremes of temperature, pressure, and vibration dictates that anything on your parts must be incredibly rugged and tolerate those environments, something Cerakote does particularly well.
Automotive
Engine parts must cope with a wide range of temperatures. They also must endure rain, snow, road salt, and abrasives. That’s why you often see Cerakote coatings in car parts.
Military and Defense
These applications require extreme durability, with the need to endure temperature extremes, protect from corrosion, and avoid scratching and wear.
Adding Cerakote Finish to Your Parts
Step 1: In your quote configuration, select "custom" from the finish drop-down menu. From here you will be prompted to describe what type of finish you are looking for. This is where you will identify the coating selection from the available options.
Step 2: Please provide a detailed description of the Cerakote series and color you'd like applied to your parts for our applications engineer to review.
Step 3: You will receive a link that will bring you to a final quote that includes the custom finishing required. Place your order and wait for your custom finished parts to arrive!