PVD coating
Last updated September 27, 2026
PVD (physical vapour deposition) is a thin-film coating applied inside a vacuum chamber. The coating material is vaporised and deposited onto the part atom by atom, forming an extremely hard layer that is only a few microns thick. On OpusFab you can select PVD as a finish option for CNC machined metal parts, for example PVD Black.
What PVD does for a part
- Hardness: PVD coatings are far harder than the underlying metal and harder than anodised surfaces. The coating was developed for cutting tools, where it lets edges survive conditions that would destroy bare steel.
- Wear resistance: sliding and contact surfaces last significantly longer. PVD is the finish for parts that rub, slide, or get handled constantly.
- Thin: the layer is only microns thick, so it does not change dimensions in any meaningful way. Precision fits, threads, and bores survive coating without masking in most cases.
- Colour: PVD produces distinctive metallic colours. The options in the editor are Black, Gold, and Chrome. The finish is opaque and uniform, with a high-end look.
PVD vs anodising vs powder coat
These three finishes solve different problems:
| PVD | Anodizing | Powder coat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer thickness | A few microns | Thin (microns to ~0.001”) | Thick |
| Main benefit | Hardness and wear | Corrosion resistance, colour | Durability, exact colour |
| Dimensional impact | Negligible | Very small | Noticeable |
| Works on | Metals | Aluminium only | Most metals |
| Colour match | Metallic tones (Black, Gold, Chrome) | Dyed, can vary | Exact Pantone |
Choose PVD when wear and hardness are the priority, or when you need a premium black or metallic look without disturbing dimensions.
Choose anodising when the part is aluminium and the goal is corrosion protection plus colour at a moderate cost.
Choose powder coating when you need an exact Pantone colour, a thick impact-resistant layer, or outdoor weather resistance at a lower cost than PVD.
Cost expectations
PVD is the premium option among OpusFab finishes. The vacuum process is slow, batch sizes are limited by chamber capacity, and the equipment is specialised, so the per-part cost sits above anodising and powder coating, especially for small quantities. The quote table shows the exact price as soon as you select it, so you can weigh it against the alternatives for your part.
Lead time also increases, since parts ship to a coating line after machining. As with all finishes, the batch lead time follows the longest part in the batch; see Lead times.
When PVD is the right call
- Wear parts: sliding surfaces, latches, pivots, tooling, fixtures that see repeated contact
- Parts that need a durable black finish with no measurable change in size
- High-touch consumer parts where scratches would be visible and unacceptable
- Precision parts where powder coat thickness or anodising growth would break the fit
When to pick something else
- Tight budget or large surface areas: powder coat covers big parts more economically.
- Exact brand colours: PVD cannot match a Pantone code; powder coat can. See Powder coating.
- Pure corrosion protection on aluminium: anodising does the job for less.
- 3D printed parts: PVD is for CNC machined metals. Printed parts ship in the default As Printed finish; no coatings are currently offered on printed parts.
If you are unsure whether PVD suits your application, the overview in Surface finishes walks through the decision by what the part needs to do.