Skip to content

Home / About

About Coating Vendor

A matching desk for metal finishing

Coating Vendor connects the three sides of metal finishing: buyers with parts to finish, the plating and coating shops that run the work, and the suppliers whose chemistry and equipment keep those lines running. Buyers and shops can be anywhere. We sort every request by process and spec first.

Send my RFQWho we connect

Three sides, one desk

Each side has its own page and its own address. Buyers write to , shops and suppliers to .

Buyers

Parts that need a finish

Engineers and buyers with a drawing, a base material and a finish callout. One RFQ goes to up to 3 shops that run that process and spec. Free for buyers.

Send my RFQ
Finishing shops

Lines that run the work

Plating, anodizing, powder coating, passivation and PVD shops. They register processes, specs and line size once and receive the RFQs that fit.

Register your shop
Process suppliers

What keeps the lines running

Suppliers of chemistry, powder, racks, wastewater systems, lines and test equipment. We introduce them to shops that ask for their products.

Become a partner supplier

Countries we cover

Buyers in these countries can send an RFQ and shops and suppliers there can register. On the RFQ you pick a preferred supplier region, and we match within it when a registered shop fits your process, spec and part size. Your country is not on the list? Send the RFQ anyway. If no shop fits, we tell you within 24 business hours.

  • North AmericaUnited States, Canada and Mexico.
  • EuropeGermany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czechia, Sweden, Denmark and Portugal.
  • JapanJapan.
  • KoreaSouth Korea.
  • Rest of AsiaChina, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and India.

What we do and what we do not

A matching service only works if both sides know where it stops.

We do

  • Read every RFQ before it goes out and ask for what is missing.
  • Sort work by process, spec, base material, line type and part size.
  • Send each RFQ to up to 3 shops that fit, never to a whole list.
  • Share drawings only after an NDA is signed, when the buyer asks for one.
  • Reply within 24 business hours, with matched shops or a clear no.

We do not

  • Plate, coat or treat parts. We have no tanks or lines.
  • Take a commission on the order between buyer and shop.
  • Publish, rank or advertise shops on this site.
  • Promise salt spray hours or results. Tables here show typical values.
  • Audit shops on the buyer's behalf. Ask the shop for certificates and samples.

How we sort finishing work

Not by country and not by who pays most. A shop sees an RFQ only when its registered processes and lines fit these points. Details on the finish pages and the base material guide.

  • Process and specThe callout on the drawing: ASTM B633, ASTM B733, MIL-PRF-8625, ASTM A967 and the class or type.
  • Base materialAlloy, temper and hardness, because each substrate needs its own preparation line.
  • Line type and sizeBarrel, rack or conveyor line, and a tank or booth big enough for the part.
  • Lot sizePrototype, short run or volume. Shops set up for 50,000 pieces rarely want 20.
  • PaperworkCertificates of conformance, thickness reports, bake records, PPAP or test coupons.
  • RegionThe supplier region the buyer prefers. Shops can be anywhere, the match follows the spec first.

Questions from all three sides

More on files and data on the privacy page, and on the rules for using the site in the terms.

Are you a plating shop?

No. Coating Vendor is a matching service, not a plating or coating shop. We pass your RFQ to up to 3 finishing shops that run your process and spec, and they quote you directly.

Where are the shops?

Shops can register from any country, including the countries listed on this page. On the RFQ you choose a preferred supplier region, and we match within it when a registered shop fits your process, spec and part size. If none fits, we tell you.

Do you check the shops?

We check that the processes, specs and line size a shop has registered fit your RFQ before we pass it on. We do not inspect parts or audit shops on your behalf, so ask the shop for its certificates, approvals and a sample before you order.

Who sees my drawing?

Only the shops on the shortlist for your RFQ, up to 3. Ask for an NDA on the form and we share only a preview without your name until the shop has signed it.

I run a finishing line. How do I get RFQs?

Register on the For shops page with your processes, specs, line type and maximum part size. We send you the RFQs that fit.

I sell chemistry or equipment to finishing shops. Can we work together?

Yes. Register on the For vendors page with your product groups and the processes they serve. We introduce you to shops that ask for those products.

One RFQ, up to 3 matched shops

Free for buyers. Send the drawing, base material, finish, spec and lot size. We reply within 24 business hours.

Send my RFQ