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<\/a><\/p>\nWhy do coatings exist? At the foundational level, coatings are applied to parts to impart properties that the base material does not intrinsically have. Coatings are applied to improve corrosion resistance, hardness, lubricity and wear resistance while also providing improved cosmetics or reduced visibility\/reflectivity. Most coatings provide a limited range of properties; for example, a coating may be hard and wear resistant, but it cannot at the same time provide texture and insulate from cold. For many parts such as hardware components, having a narrow range of coating properties is acceptable. However, for more complex applications, having a narrow range of coating properties limits the design and functionality of the end product.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Tacti-Black Composite TechSheet<\/p><\/div>\n Advanced Plating Technologies has an active\u00a0Federal Firearms License<\/a>\u00a0allowing for the processing of serialized firearm components such as slides or uppers.\u00a0 APT is also\u00a0ITAR registered<\/a>\u00a0for critical defense applications where control of documentation and processes is critical.<\/p>\n Our firearms finishing processes are forged around our\u00a0ISO 9001:2015<\/a>\u00a0quality management system, ensuring firearms finishing that meets specification and is consistent from lot to lot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With today\u2019s complex firearm and optic designs there are an increasing number of applications where a part may need very dissimilar properties on separate features of the component. For example, a laser optic battery cap may need an electrically conductive coating on the interior that ensures current flow in harsh environments. In contrast, the outside of the cap requires a coating that electrically insulates and provides a textured grip in a color that closely matches the anodized optic housing. Until recently, a dichotomy of properties such as this could not be provided by a single coating.<\/p>\n Tacti-Black\u00ae Composite is the first hybrid coating that breaks the narrow silos of traditional coatings by allowing a designer to specify unique and dissimilar properties on the same part. Tacti-Black\u00ae Composite couples Advanced Plating Technologies\u2019 proprietary black electroless nickel with a selective polymeric coating that provides ergonomic characteristics not previously available with a single coating. The polymer zone of Tacti-Black\u00ae Composite is offered in a range of colors including Jet Flat Black (JFB), Flat Dark Earth (FDE) or Olive Drab Green (ODG). It is also available in a smooth or textured finish to customize the ergonomics at the functional touch points. The ability to customize the features of Tacti-Black\u00ae Composite make it the ultimate engineered finish for today\u2019s critical tactical and defense applications.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A large defense optic OEM had a design challenge to provide a coating that would be electrically conductive on the interior of a battery cap, ensure a conductive path even when exposed to moister\/salt water and not reflect during battery swaps. The exterior of the cap had to be textured to facilitate removal of the cap when wet or frozen and had to resist over 1000-Hr salt spray while matching the FDE of the existing anodized optic. Tacti-Black\u00ae Composite in textured FDE met all design requirements and helped the OEM fulfill a major contract<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Tacti-Black\u00ae Composite \u2013 A Finish that Breaks Traditional Coating Conventions<\/h2>\n
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\nTacti-Black\u00ae Composite Case Study 1: IR\/Laser Optic Battery Cap<\/h2>\n
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\nTacti-Black\u00ae Composite Case Study 2: Firearm Low-Profile Slide Release<\/h2>\n