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Thermal and Optical Control Coatings

Essential for managing heat and light in aerospace, defense, and advanced technology applications where extreme environments demand exceptional performance.
Because we know even one day matters, we deliver:
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Are Coatings a Fit?

When are Thermal and Optical Control Coatings Right for Your Project

In general thermal and optical control coatings may be a good choice for the following situations:

  • Spacecraft components requiring precise thermal management
  • Electronics needing protection from extreme temperature fluctuations
  • Surfaces exposed to direct solar radiation requiring specific reflectance properties
  • Applications demanding precise emittance control in vacuum environments
  • Components where radiation is the primary heat dissipation method
  • Defense and aerospace applications with strict thermal requirements
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Solar Reflectance

Proper solar reflectance management directly impacts spacecraft thermal control, equipment reliability, and mission success.

Solar Absorptance

Solar absorptance is a critical thermal property that significantly impacts spacecraft and aerospace component performance.

Thermal Emittance

Thermal emittance plays a critical role in spacecraft thermal management and defense system performance.

Materials

Thermal & Optical Control Materials

We have specialized equipment to apply a wide range of thermal and optical control coatings, with experience working with materials from industry-leading suppliers. Our strategic partnerships allow us to deliver on your designs faster and with reduced costs.

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Case Study

Building a 10 Year Strategic Relationship

Learn how investment in building strong relationships and robust quality processes, systems and technology have driven a long-term relationship and supported the strategic growth of this satellite telecommunications company.

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Get Design Feedback from Our Team

Have a design that needs feedback? Get in touch with our engineering team today to get real-time feedback on how to make your design more effective and manufacturable.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Coatings

What is your coating process?

Our comprehensive spray coating process ensures consistent, high-quality results that meet the demanding specifications of aerospace, defense, and advanced technology applications:

  1. Surface Preparation - Scotch Brite or bead blasting to create optimal surface conditions
  2. Surface Cleaning - Water break free cleaning followed by IPA/Xylene treatment
  3. Precision Masking - Protecting surfaces that must remain uncoated
  4. Primer Application - When applicable for organic coatings
  5. Initial Cure - Controlled 16-hour curing process
  6. Secondary Masking - Additional protection as needed
  7. Spray Application - Precise, controlled coating application
  8. Final Cure - Temperature-controlled curing process (hours to days)
  9. Demasking & Touchups - Careful removal of masking and quality refinements
  10. Comprehensive Inspection - Ensuring all specifications are met

What are thermal control coatings and why are they important?

Thermal control coatings are specialized materials applied to surfaces to manage heat by controlling solar reflectance, absorptance, and emittance properties. They're critical in space applications where traditional cooling methods don't work, and components must manage extreme temperature variations through radiation alone.

The right coating ensures sensitive equipment operates within its designed temperature range despite exposure to direct solar radiation or deep space conditions.

How do design decisions impact coating performance?

Design decisions significantly impact coating performance by affecting application uniformity, adhesion, and long-term reliability. Factors like surface geometry, edge conditions, and material transitions all influence how effectively a coating can be applied and maintained.

Early design considerations can prevent issues like coating thickness variations, edge failures, and processing complications that might compromise thermal control properties.

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When should I involve a coating manufacturing partner in my design process?

You should involve a coating manufacturing partner as early as possible in your design process—ideally during the initial concept phase. Early collaboration provides significant advantages: our engineering team can identify potential manufacturing challenges before they become costly design changes, recommend geometry modifications that maintain thermal performance while improving coating application, and help optimize critical surface transitions.

This collaborative approach has saved our partners months of development time and significant redesign costs. For example, small modifications to edge geometry or masking features can dramatically improve coating uniformity and long-term reliability without compromising thermal performance.

With space applications in particular, where coating performance directly impacts mission success, this early partnership ensures your design balances optimal thermal control with manufacturing feasibility.

How does your coating process ensure consistent thermal properties?

Our coating process ensures consistent thermal properties through rigorous control at every step of application. We begin with comprehensive surface preparation including precisely controlled Scotch Brite or bead blasting to create the optimal surface profile for coating adhesion. Our water break free cleaning and solvent treatment removes all contaminants that could affect coating performance.

Our spray application takes place in a controlled environment with precise temperature and humidity regulation. We utilize automated spray equipment with programmed application parameters to ensure uniform coating thickness across all critical surfaces. Between application and cure phases, we maintain strict environmental controls to prevent contamination.

The multi-stage curing process follows carefully developed temperature profiles specific to each coating type, ensuring complete polymerization and optimal thermal performance properties. Every component undergoes comprehensive inspection using calibrated equipment to verify coating thickness, adhesion, and visual quality.

For space and defense applications, we can provide documented verification of solar absorptance and emittance properties to ensure your components will perform as designed in their operational environment.

RESOURCES

Take Advantage of our Coatings Resources

Find everything you need about coating application and resources to design your component, including:

  • Material information and guidance
  • Design feedback and guidance
  • Detailed engineering resources
Resources
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Articles

Browse all of our articles about coatings for guidance on design and application and more coating specific topics.

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Aerospace Coatings Guide

Your ultimate guide to optical and thermal coatings: mastering material science for mission-critical protection in extreme environments.

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Aerospace Coatings Resource Center

All our Advanced Coatings for Aerospace Optics resources have been organized below to help you answer your most common questions.

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Turnkey RF Sub-Assemblies

Get a completed RF shield all from a single source. Machining, FIP dispensing, plating and coating, and assembly of converted materials.

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Don’t take our word for it. Reach out and speak to one of our engineers about your part today and see the benefits for yourself. We strive to turn all quotes around 48 hours or less to get your part moving as quickly as possible.

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