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The hard anodizing process, or hard coat anodizing, is a specialized surface coating treatment that greatly enhances the material properties of aluminum, especially for aluminum-made products, parts, and components used in government and defense-related applications. Hard anodizing is achieved through an electrochemical reaction that increases the thickness of the naturally occurring oxide layer on aluminum surfaces. The process can create a relatively thick layer of hard aluminum oxide on the surface, allowing a coating thickness of up to 75 microns. The hard anodizing process, called Type III anodizing, is the standard for government and defense contracts that meets U.S. military specification Mil-A-8625  standards. 

A prime characteristic of hard anodizing aluminum surfaces is the improved retention of colored dye coatings. Coyote Brown hard anodizing is the specialized color-coated finishing for hard anodized components. The color was developed by Silvex, Inc. and Sig Sauer for US Army NGSW (Next Generation Squad Weapon) small arms systems program applications. Silvex Inc. is proud to partner with Sig Sauer in developing Coyote Brown anodizing for their submission for the U.S. Army’s NGSW program https://www.silvexinc.com/industries/defense/. 

The importance of Coyote Brown hard anodizing military hardware cannot be understated. Coyote Brown matches equipment to natural colors in certain environments where concealment and operational effectiveness are crucial to the mission. In other words, Coyote Brown provides a neutral and effective camouflage color for many operational terrains, where stealth and blending in are key considerations.

The material’s enhanced properties and distinctive camouflaged finish make it ideal for various military equipment and components. Common applications for Coyote Brown, hard anodizing in defense contracts, include many firearm components, such as receivers, handguards, frames, and scopes. The process is often used on tactical gear like helmets and body armor plates. Weapon accessories like rifle scopes, mounts, and bipods can also feature Coyote Brown anodizing to match the firearm’s finish and provide protection. Add ammunition containers to the list as well. Containers hard anodized with a coating of Coyote Brown make them more robust and corrosion-resistant for long-term storage in a wide range of environments.

The Importance of Coyote Brown Hard Anodizing

Regarded for its low density and lightweight, aluminum and aluminum alloys have long been a material choice in manufacturing for aerospace and defense-related applications. Though light in weight compared to other metals, aluminum is not only a solid material but easily malleable. It’s highly conductive yet non-magnetic. It’s non-toxic, does not spark, and is non-combustible. In the context of military applications, the material is ideal. When subjected to Coyote Brown hard anodized surface treatment, it further improves the material properties of military hardware and equipment, proving beneficial in several significant and meaningful ways, including:

Corrosion Resistance

Coyote Brown Hard Anodizing creates a corrosion-resistant surface on metal parts. Military hardware and aerospace equipment are often subjected to harsh and corrosive environments, from marine to desert conditions. Components hard anodized are far less prone to corrosion, which ensures their longevity but especially their reliability of the applications in critical situations. 

Increased Resilience and Durability 

Coyote Brown hard anodizing increases the durability and resilience required of military hardware. As a material, aluminum is well regarded for its long-lasting durability over time and its capacity to withstand the toughest and most severe conditions. Hard anodizing produces a surface layer that is three times stronger than the aluminum material’s natural base. It does not peel, chip, or flake. The hard anodized layer, combined with Coyote Brown coating, provides the durability essential for military equipment with frequent use and heavy loads. Such equipment hard anodized with Coyote Brown can withstand extended service life without the need for frequent maintenance or replacement.

Wear and Abrasion Resistance

Hard anodizing offers ten times more wear resistance in testing than ordinary anodized aluminum. This is due to the electrochemical process of hard anodizing. Once the thicker oxide layer has been created, it becomes part of the aluminum’s base, providing a hard, wear-resistant surface with enhanced resistance to abrasion. The process allows Coyote Brown hard anodized parts and components to better retain their color, with increased resistance to wear and abrasion.  

Improved Performance

In aerospace and defense applications, the performance of components can be critical for mission success and safety. Coyote Brown hard anodizing can improve the performance of parts by reducing friction, enhancing wear resistance, and maintaining dimensional stability under extreme conditions. This, in turn, contributes to the overall effectiveness and reliability of the equipment.

As a process, Coyote Brown hard anodizing enhances the performance and longevity of defense equipment, increases its wear and corrosion resistance, and provides camouflaged finishing to hardware and equipment. The process helps ensure that military equipment remains functional and effective under the harshest conditions while minimizing its detection in the field.

Contact the Hard Anodize Experts at Silvex Inc.

Silvex Inc. offers Coyote Brown hard anodizing and other advanced plating technologies for defense industry applications, including partnering with Sig Sauer in developing Coyote Brown anodizing for their submission for the U.S. Army’s NGSW program. We are NADCAP certified and maintain an ITAR (International Traffic in Arms) certification and a Federal Firearms License. Contact us today for more information on our advanced plating technologies for defense industry applications. 

With the development of new processing methods and due to its unique properties, platinum became integral to many pieces of modern technology. Now about 20 percent of all manufactured goods globally either contain platinum – including catalytic converters, dental equipment, electrodes and jewelry – or used as a catalyst when making detergents, explosives, plastics and other industrial processes. Platinum energy resources contribute to sustainability and makes a positive environmental impact – especially in the world of renewable energy, with one of the most exciting developments involving the use of platinum plating being the development of hydrogen fuel cells. Continue Reading

The process of metal injection molding involves forcing powdered metal feedstock into a cavity mold while under pressure. This tooling mold uses two hardened dies made from steel that has been machined into the exact shape of the component. This process usually involves stainless steel alloys, but can be used with other metals as well. Metal injection molding is similar to injection molding, but uses powdered metal instead of molten plastic as a feedstock. Continue Reading

Antimicrobial silver electroplating is advantageous to manufacturers that rely on the production of sterile equipment, principally for those in the medical and food industries. Silver electroplating, or silver plating as it’s commonly referred to, is a finishing process in which a thin layer of silver ions (Ag+) is deposited onto a substrate of a metal through electrolysis.
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Silver offers several important properties: the highest thermal and light conductivity, the lowest melting point and weight, and its ability to reflect light. It’s also very versatile and easy to fabricate into components, while it also can be easily alloyed with other metals like tin and aluminum. Silver electroplating solutions are highly adaptable, with options that include silver-plating of gold, copper, stainless steel, or other alloys often used in batteries. Continue Reading

Military-grade surface finishing specifications – used to protect the surfaces of military equipment – have been developed over the years to ensure the readiness of various branches of the armed forces. In military jargon, these “mil-spec” finishes far surpass those needed in most civilian industries. Many of these mil-spec standards for surface finishing have proven so resilient that many have been adopted for non-military use. All surface finishes for military equipment must meet very stringent requirements to withstand the rigors of the battlefield, which highlights the significance of working with a defense metal finishing company. 

Besides making equipment more durable, perhaps more important is the corrosion resistance, lifespan expansion, and maintenance reduction that surface finishing offers.  Continue Reading

The excavation at an ancient Roman fort in Germany in the 1940s shows how far back coating metals with phosphates goes. Several iron items were found in remarkably good condition, with their surfaces converted into a blue iron phosphate coating that resisted corrosion remarkably well over the millennia. The widespread use of phosphate coatings in modern society did not begin until the mid-19th century, however, with the discovery that hot iron treated with coal dust and potassium phosphate resisted corrosion. From 1869, a variety of methods for coating metals with phosphates to protect iron and steel from corrosion were patented, and the process became increasingly widespread. Zinc and manganese phosphate coatings – the two most common types of phosphate coatings – are now widely used for a number of industrial purposes. Continue Reading

As an electrochemical process, anodizing changes the surface of metals to make them more durable to wear, corrosion-resistance, and to give them an attractive finish. The process increases the natural oxide layer that coats metal parts, though it is most commonly used with aluminum and its alloys. This aluminum oxide results in a thin protective layer that protects and covers the top metal layer. Though anodization processes exist for other nonferrous metals – such as zinc, magnesium and titanium – and there are processes that use aluminum plate to anodize color into other metals, what follows mainly addresses the color anodization process used for aluminum, with a more in-depth focus upon hard coat anodized color dyeing. Continue Reading

Quality can be subjective and open to interpretation. However, for a surface finishing company like Silvex, the goal is to achieve quality that is defined and replicable time and time again. According to ISO:9001:2015 quality is defined as the “degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfills requirements.” Having a streamlined quality assurance process is essential for the success of a company. Continue Reading

The process to become NADCAP certified is a challenging one, which is exactly what distinguishes the good suppliers from the great suppliers. Businesses that are committed to putting in the effort in order to excel in their industry and offer top performance are, without question, the ones you want to work with. Below, we’ve outlined what you can expect from a company that has NADCAP accreditation, including Silvex Inc. Continue Reading