Cenaprot Laboratorio Nacional de Proyección Térmica

What Cenaprot Laboratorio Nacional de Proyección Térmica does

CENAPROT (Cenaprot Laboratorio Nacional de Proyección Térmica) is a Mexican national laboratory established in 2014 under CONACYT, specializing in thermal spray technology and advanced surface coatings. It operates from the Cinvestav Unidad Querétaro campus through a formal multi-institutional partnership with CIATEQ and CIDESI, and serves the aeronautics, automotive, energy, and biomedical industries. The laboratory's stated mission is to develop applied knowledge in projection térmica and related advanced materials, supporting Mexican industrial competitiveness through specialized engineering services and human-capital formation.

The laboratory's technical capabilities center on advanced surface engineering using thermal spray processes, including the deposition of metallic, ceramic, and cermet coatings designed to improve wear resistance, thermal protection, and corrosion resistance of industrial components. Service lines include coating development, materials characterization, thermal projection processing, and professional training. CENAPROT holds ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications, qualifying it for aerospace-grade coating work and formalized quality management. Staff include master's- and doctoral-level researchers affiliated with Cinvestav, and the laboratory contributes to materials science research output nationally.

CENAPROT operates as a government-backed, non-commercial entity that generates revenue through fee-for-service professional contracts rather than product sales. Pricing is quote-based, contracts are multi-year, and the go-to-market is direct via formal service requests from industrial clients. The business model couples state appropriations with project-driven commercial revenue across four primary verticals, though no customer names, contract values, or revenue splits are publicly disclosed. The entity functions simultaneously as a research infrastructure provider, a contract-services laboratory, and a talent-development platform.

Name

Cenaprot Laboratorio Nacional de Proyección Térmica

Legal name

Laboratorio Nacional de Proyección Térmica

Website

https://cenaprot.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CENAPROT is a Mexico-based national laboratory under CONACYT specializing in thermal spray coatings and advanced surface engineering, serving the aeronautics, automotive, energy, and biomedical industries with characterization, projection, and training services from its Cinvestav Querétaro site.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Coatings Services

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)

Keywords

• Thermal spray coatings
• Advanced surface coatings
• Industrial coating services
• Materials characterization
• Coatings research

Headquarters

HQ city

Querétaro

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Technological Development Services: Processing, diagnostic and technological development services for industry clients in aeronautics, automotive, energy and biomedical sectors.
2. Advanced Coatings Characterization: Characterization services for advanced coatings, providing analysis and testing for quality assurance.
3. Thermal Projection Services: Core thermal spray projection services for surface functionalization and coating applications.
4. Human Resource Training: Formation of human resources through training programs, master's and doctoral degrees in special coatings and thermal projection processes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CENAPROT is a national laboratory that designs and develops thermal spray (proyección térmica) equipment and processes to apply advanced ceramic, metallic and other coatings to industrial surfaces. It delivers thermal projection services, advanced coatings technological development, and coatings characterization to enterprise clients in the aeronautics, automotive, energy, and biomedical sectors.

Product overview

Cenaprot offers a unified portfolio of thermal spray technology services centered around two core offerings: thermal spray (proyección térmica) for surface functionalization and technological development services for advanced coatings. The company provides end-to-end capabilities including processing, diagnostic services, and characterization of advanced coatings. These services serve critical sectors including aeronautics, automotive, energy, and biomedicine. The portfolio is delivered as a single integrated service offering rather than modular products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proyección Térmica (Thermal Spray Services)
• Servicios de Desarrollo Tecnológico (Technological Development Services)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cinvestav Unidad QuerétarocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Host institution for CENAPROT. Provides laboratory facilities and hosts the national thermal spray laboratory at its Querétaro campus. Cinvestav (Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional) is Mexico's premier research institution.
• CIATEQ (Centro de Tecnología Avanzada)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Multi-institutional collaborator in the CENAPROT national laboratory initiative. CIATEQ contributes advanced technology center capabilities to expand scientific and technological development in thermal spray and coatings.
• CIDESI (Centro de Ingeniería y Desarrollo Industrial)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Multi-institutional collaborator contributing industrial engineering and development capabilities to the CENAPROT national laboratory, expanding technology transfer and industrial application expertise.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oerlikon Metco: Global leader in thermal spray materials, equipment, and surface solutions. Comparable as the dominant commercial provider of thermal spray coatings and equipment, serving the same aerospace, automotive, and energy end markets.
• Bodycote: World's largest thermal processing services provider, including thermal spray and other surface treatments for aerospace, automotive, and energy markets. Comparable service-oriented business model across overlapping verticals.
• Sulzer: Diversified industrial manufacturer with thermal spray and surface coating technology capabilities serving energy, aerospace, and industrial markets. Comparable in coating technology and customer verticals despite broader portfolio.
• Praxair Surface Technologies (Linde): Major global provider of thermal spray coatings and high-performance surface technologies for aerospace, industrial gas turbine, and automotive customers. Comparable end-to-end coatings portfolio and customer overlap.

Direct peers

• ASB Industries: US-based thermal spray applicator focused on aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Comparable service-driven thermal spray operations with similar AS9100-style aerospace customer focus.
• Curtiss-Wright Surface Technologies: Provides thermal spray and other surface treatment services primarily to aerospace and defense customers. Closely comparable service offering, customer base, and AS9100-quality aerospace focus.
• APS Materials Inc: Specializes in thermal spray coatings and biomedical coatings for medical, aerospace, and industrial applications. Direct overlap in biomedical implant coatings and plasma spray capabilities.
• Flame Spray Technologies: Designs and manufactures thermal spray equipment and systems for industrial and research applications. Comparable as a thermal spray technology provider with R&D-grade equipment offerings.
• Polymet: Specialty thermal spray applicator offering high-temperature and wear-resistant coatings for aerospace, oil & gas, and industrial customers. Comparable as a focused thermal spray service provider with overlapping end markets.

Others

• H.C. Starck (Mersen): Provides advanced materials including thermal spray powders and surface technology materials. Comparable as a supplier of feedstock materials used in advanced thermal spray processes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cenaprot
• Facebookfacebook.com/CENAPROT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cenaprot

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cenaprot Laboratorio Nacional de Proyección Térmica