Your tools wear out. We make them last longer.
PVD coatings for cutting tools, molds, dies, and precision components — with fast turnaround.
The problems our customers show up with.
If any of these describe your shop right now, a PVD coating is very likely the fix.
Drills, taps and end mills not lasting long enough
The best PVD coatings to reduce cutting tool wear.
Cutting tools
Molds sticking and slowing cycle times
Improve release and reduce corrosion with PVD coatings.
Injection molding
Galling on forming tools & dies
Metal pickup, friction, and scratching causing constant die polishing, scoring parts, and stopping press runs.
Metal forming
Biocompatibility & medical compliance
Your instruments need validated, traceable coatings that withstand repeated sterilization without flaking or degrading.
Medical devices
Hard chrome plating alternatives
Improve performance with no compliance problems. CrN gives you hard chrome wear and corrosion behavior without the hexavalent chrome process.
Hexavalent chrome replacementFind the Right Coating for Your Application
Every coating in our lineup is significantly harder than carbide. The right one depends on your material, temperature, and wear pattern.
Alpha Coating
Our hardest all-purpose coating at 4,200–4,600 Hv — a light gold finish and 2–4× the life of TiN on cutting tools and punches.
Best for- Cutting tools & end mills
- Sheet-metal punches
- Wear-intensive tooling
TiN (Titanium Nitride)
The gold-finish general-purpose coating — 2–10× tool life and the medical-instrument standard.
Best for- General cutting & drilling
- Medical instruments
- Decorative gold finish
AlTiN (Aluminum Titanium Nitride)
Built for heat — the aluminum converts to alumina at the cutting edge for outstanding oxidation resistance.
Best for- High-temperature milling
- Dry & near-dry cutting
- Hardened steel machining
CrN (Chrome Nitride)
Heavy-duty toughness & lubricity — our go-to hard chrome plating alternative and anti-galling coating for dies.
Best for- Stamping dies
- Forming tools
- Hard-chrome replacement
TiCN (Titanium Carbo-Nitride)
Carbon in the film pushes hardness ~80% above TiN — 2–4× the tool life on demanding wear.
Best for- Injection molds
- Punches & forming dies
- Drills & taps
Not Sure Which Coating?
Free consulting on every inquiry. Tell us your part, material, and the problem you're solving — we'll recommend the right coating or point you to the right process.
Ask an ExpertPrices from 1995. Value that’s only grown since.
At Surface Solutions, we’ve held our coating pricing where it was 30 years ago, and every dollar you spend earns real returns.
Want to see the numbers for YOUR shop? Run our free ROI calculator →
Same coating prices as 1995
Our per-part coating rates haven’t moved in 30 years. While shop supplies, tooling, and freight have all climbed, our pricing has stayed exactly where it was the day we opened.
Why it matters- No annual rate increases
- Predictable per-job cost
- Same rate for new and repeat customers
$25.00 minimum charge
Send us one insert or a full basket — the minimum charge is only $25.00, with standard lead times under two weeks. Small orders and single-piece jobs are welcome.
What it covers- Single tools or prototype runs
- Lead times of less than 2 weeks
- Same quality process as large orders
Up to $100+ back per $1 spent
Customers routinely see $100 or more in extended tool life, less downtime, and better throughput for every $1.00 spent on our coatings — a return most shop investments can’t match.
Where the return shows up- 2–10× longer tool life
- Fewer resharpen & changeover cycles
- Higher throughput at the same feeds and speeds
Getting your parts coated is simple
Four steps from your dock to ours and back.
Request a quote
Tell us your part, material, and the problem you're solving. We respond within one business day.
Ship your parts
We provide packaging guidelines and accept parts from anywhere in the country. UPS Ground reaches us in 3 days from over half of the U.S.
We coat them
Precision cathodic-arc PVD coating in our 12,850 sq ft Fridley, MN facility, with full inspection before return.
Back to you fast
Return shipping via UPS Ground — 3 days to half the country, with 2nd Day and Next Day options if you need them sooner.
Real parts. Real coatings.
A sample of the tools, molds, medical parts, and firearm components that come through our 12,850 sq ft facility.
Ready to extend your tool and component life?
Send us your part, material, and the problem you're solving. Free consulting on every inquiry — we respond within one business day.