The inoxSPECTRAL process (formerly also: INOX-SPECTRAL®) colours stainless steel electrochemically, without dyes, pigments, paints or lacquers. The colour is created in a transparent chromium oxide layer through the interference effect and is an integral part of the surface. For industry this means: durable colour that does not flake off, full corrosion protection and retained material properties. INOX COLOR colours up to 6,000 x 1,200 x 2,000 mm, including expanded metal, wire mesh, profiles and small parts.

inoxSPECTRAL® is a computer-controlled electrochemical process. Unlike lacquering, powder coating or anodising, no dye and no pigment is applied. Instead, the stainless steel's existing passive layer is deliberately strengthened into a transparent chromium oxide layer. On this thin layer, the colour is created by interference, similar to a soap bubble or a prism.

Depending on the thickness of the chromium oxide layer, the composition of the light and the viewing angle, different colour tones arise. The colour is therefore not an applied substance, but an optical effect directly in the surface. Because the layer is very thin, the character of the stainless steel is fully retained, both the structure of the surface and the functional material properties.

Lacquers and coatings have a decisive disadvantage in many industrial environments: they can flake, peel or detach. In food, beverage and pharmaceutical technology or in the clean room this is a real problem, because detached particles can end up in the product. A colour that is an integral part of the passive layer cannot flake off.

In addition there are further advantages that are particularly important in industrial use:

• full corrosion protection, because the passive layer is strengthened rather than removed
• no coating that fails during cleaning or on contact with chemicals
• retained material properties such as conductivity and processability
• durable colour that withstands UV radiation, cleaning and mechanical stress
• the colour black is particularly scratch-resistant

Coloured stainless steel is far more than decoration. In industrial application it solves concrete tasks:

• Colour coding and marking: components, variants, sizes or assemblies can be distinguished permanently by colour, without stickers or lacquer that comes loose. This helps in assembly, logistics and maintenance.
• Small parts and bulk material: screws, springs, clips and components can also be coloured, even as bulk material, for example to distinguish types.
• Functional and at the same time high-quality parts: in appliances for gastronomy, commercial kitchen, beverage and food technology, where hygiene and appearance come together.
• Durable marking: permanent identification that survives cleaning cycles, chemicals and abrasion.
• Low-glare surfaces: dark colour tones reduce reflections, which can be an advantage on visible and operating surfaces.

Because the colour is an interference effect, its appearance depends on the underlying surface. On a mirror-polished surface the same colour tone looks different than on a blasted or ground one. This is a strength, because it allows colour and surface finish to be combined deliberately. The standard colours include champagne, gold, bronze, steel blue, cobalt blue and black. We recommend the tones red / purple, rosy-gold and green for indoor applications only.

inoxSPECTRAL is a precision process best coordinated on a sample. Three points are important in practice:

1. the result depends on the base material and its pre-treatment, which is why we work sample-based and reproducibly. 
2. the colouring is dissolved in the area of weld seams depending on the process, which must be considered in the design. 
3. the colour tones red / purple, rosy-gold and green are intended for indoor use.

We colour components up to 6,000 x 1,200 x 2,000 mm. Besides sheets, the process is excellent for expanded metal, wire mesh, profiles, structural elements and small parts, which we also process as bulk material. This covers many industrial requirements, from the large component to a series of small parts.

INOX COLOR colours stainless steel in Germany using the computer-controlled inoxSPECTRAL process and is one of the pioneers of stainless steel colouring. The big advantage lies in the combination expertise from a single source: we coordinate grinding, blasting or polishing with the colouring, all in our own works. We have produced Made in Germany for 40 years and are certified to ISO 9001. This keeps the process chain short and the results reproducible.