Here are our annual predictions for the most popular PVD coating colors in the coming year, 2025 edition.
Consumers love deep, dark black coatings. However, dark black PVD coatings have been complicated for PVD processes to reproduce. Some methods for creating black produce coatings are unstable, have a yellowish tinge, and are prone to discoloration.
Black PVD coatings are perfect for a broad range of products, including home hardware, plumbing, sports equipment and firearms, medical devices, automotive components, and other consumer products.
VaporTech has been a global leader in decorative PVD coating for more than 30 years and offers VT-Black PVD coating, enhancing your product's visual appeal while adding a durable layer of protection. Our PVD coating systems allow you to produce rich black products.
Chrome has once again topped the list of popular colors. Traditional chrome plating involves exposing parts to chromium baths that contain toxic chemicals like chromium trioxide and sulfuric acid. Due to the toxicity of these substances, manufacturers must invest heavily in safety controls and extensive permitting in many regions or find an alternative.
Other manufacturers still electroplate their products but require improved properties over plated chrome to significantly improve performance in high-wear applications (see "The Benefits of PVD Coating on Electroplated Parts).
Manufacturers are using chromium PVD to address these challenges. VaporTech VT-Chrome color is virtually identical to traditional chrome plating. PVD-deposited chromium-based coatings offer equal or better abrasion resistance. Adding elements such as nitrogen (CrN) or nitrogen and carbon (CrCN) adds a hard base layer to improve wear resistance.
Check out our VT-Black PVD and PVD VT-Chrome-alternative coatings, and ask us today for more information about all our decorative and functional coatings.
Vapor Technologies (VaporTech) builds, installs, and maintains right-sized, right-priced vacuum coating systems. We design and assemble our vapor deposition equipment in Longmont, Colorado. With a VaporTech PVD coating system, you get a more environmentally friendly process and the capability to deposit various color PVD and functional finishes for many parts and products.
VaporTech VTi-Series PVD coating machines use a unique, centrally mounted coating source with optional magnetron sputtering in the VT-1500™ system. (See "Sputtering vs. Cathodic Arc: Which Physical Vapor Deposition Process Should You Use?")
The equipment is available in several capacities and has a small footprint for easy integration.
We are proud to be a member of the Masco Corporation for 30 years, alongside sister companies such as Delta Faucet and Behr Paint. Contact us for more information.