Decoral

What Decoral does

Decoral SA is a French specialty surface treatment subcontractor founded in 1960 in Saint-Julien en Genevois, Haute-Savoie, providing electrolytic, chemical, and mechano-chemical surface treatments for aluminum, titanium, and their alloys. The company's core technology portfolio comprises three anodizing variants — sulfuric (corrosion protection up to 750h BS ISO 9227), hard (surface hardness up to 700 Vickers), and chromic (thin 2-7µm film with minimal fatigue impact) — plus colored titanium anodizing based on dye-free optical interference in the oxide layer, hexavalent and trivalent chromium-free chromatation (Alodine series and SURTEC 650), passivation of stainless steel, copper, and brass, and a full surface preparation stack (tribofinishing, microblasting, degreasing, pickling, brightening). Production is organized across nine treatment lines at a single site, with bath dimensions ranging from 500x500x1000mm (prototyping) to 2500x1000x1700mm (industrial batches).

The business is B2B and sales-led, serving primary verticals including industrial manufacturing, medical/surgical devices, and aerospace/defense, with secondary exposure to automotive, watchmaking/horology, maritime, hydraulics, and armaments. Quality system certifications — ISO 9001 (2001), ISO 13485 (2003), and EN 9100 (2010) — alongside MIL-DTL-81706 and MIL-5541 compliance for the SURTEC 650 line, qualify the firm to serve regulated industries. Revenue is generated from one-off surface treatment service contracts priced on a quote basis determined by treatment type, part specifications, and batch size, with pickup and delivery logistics running a 19T truck on bi-weekly Haute-Savoie and weekly Grenoble routes to reduce customer handling friction.

Operating geographies are limited to France, with explicit positioning near the Swiss border to capture cross-border Swiss industrial demand. Ownership is private (Société Anonyme under French law), with no parent company, subsidiaries, funding rounds, M&A activity, or public market participation disclosed. The firm employs 1-10 people and operates as an independent specialty job shop competing on certification depth, process flexibility across part sizes, and regulatory-compliant chemistry rather than scale.

Name

Decoral

Legal name

DECORAL SA

Website

https://decoral-aluminium.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Decoral SA is a French specialty subcontractor providing electrolytic and chemical surface treatments — anodizing, chromatation, passivation, and titanium coloring — for aluminum, titanium, and alloys, serving medical, aerospace, and industrial clients from its Saint-Julien en Genevois site under ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and EN 9100 certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Surface Treatment Services

NAICS

Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring (332813), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)

akta.pro primary industry

Electroplating & Metal Finishing (Anodizing/Galvanizing/Passivation) (IMAIAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Commercial Painting/Coatings/Surface Treatment (IMAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Aluminum surface treatment
• Anodizing services
• Metal finishing
• Chromatation coatings
• Passivation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-julien-en-genevois

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Surface Treatment Services: Decoral SA generates revenue through providing surface treatment services for aluminum, titanium, and their alloys. Services include anodizing (sulfuric, hard, chromic), colored anodizing, titanium anodizing, chromatation, passivation, and surface preparation. The company operates industrial-scale treatment lines with varying capacities and offers logistics pickup/delivery services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Decoral SA provides specialized electrochemical and chemical surface treatment services for aluminum, titanium, and their alloys. Its offering spans anodizing (sulfuric, hard, chromic, and colored titanium anodizing), chromatation (including RoHS-compliant SURTEC 650), passivation of stainless steel, copper, and brass, and chemical/mechano-chemical surface preparation (tribofinishing, microblasting, degreasing, pickling, brightening). Services are delivered through multiple semi-automatic treatment lines of varying capacities, with on-site pickup and delivery logistics for manufacturing clients.

Product overview

Decoral SA is a surface treatment services company offering specialized electrochemical and chemical treatment processes for aluminum, titanium, and their alloys. The core product portfolio comprises three main anodization types: sulfuric anodization (standard), hard anodization (heavy-duty), and chromic anodization, all available with or without coloring options. The company also provides titanium anodization for medical and aerospace applications. Supporting services include chromate conversion coatings (Alodine variants and RoHS-compliant SURTEC 650), passivation for stainless steel/copper/brass, and comprehensive surface preparation including tribofinishing, microblasting, degreasing, pickling, and decorative brightening/satin finishing. The company operates multiple semi-automatic treatment lines of varying capacities and maintains quality certifications for aerospace and medical device sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sulfuric Anodizing (with and without coloring) Electrolytic process forming a translucent aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer on aluminum and its alloys. Provides corrosion protection up to 750h BS ISO 9227, increased shock resistance, improved wear and friction resistance, thermal resistance, and electrical insulation. Available with or without pigment/metal salt coloring.
• Hard Anodizing (with and without coloring) Electrolytic process performed in a cold bath (-5 to +5°C) producing a hard aluminum oxide layer up to 100µm thick. Achieves surface hardness up to 700 Vickers, increased wear resistance, improved friction coefficient, corrosion protection up to 500h BS ISO 9227, thermal resistance, and electrical insulation. May be followed by re-machining.
• Chromic Anodizing (with and without coloring) Process performed in a chromic acid bath producing thin oxide layers (2-7µm). Provides minimal dimensional degradation, good corrosion protection up to 750h BS ISO 9227, excellent paint film adhesion, good bonding disposition, minimal impact on fatigue characteristics, and reveals underlying metal structure.
• Colored Titanium Anodizing Electrolytic process forming a thin barrier layer of titanium oxide (1 to several tens of nanometers) on titanium or titanium alloys. Colors result from optical properties varying with layer thickness, achieved without added dyes or pollutants. Used for medical implants (biocompatibility and differentiation) and aerospace applications.
• Aluminum Chromatation (Alodine 1000, 1200, 1500) Chemical conversion treatment in hexavalent chromium bath forming complex oxide layers. Produces a thin chromate layer that maintains electrical conductivity for integration in electrical circuits, offers excellent paint adhesion as a base coat, and delivers corrosion resistance up to 168h+ BS ISO 9227. Available in colorless (Alodine 1000-1500) and yellow iridescent (Alodine 1200) finishes.
• Chromium-free Chromatation (SURTEC 650) Trivalent chromium passivation treatment for aluminum, compliant with the RoHS directive. Provides corrosion protection comparable to hexavalent chromium (168h BS ISO 9227) on aluminum alloys and castings. Suitable as pre-treatment before painting, powder coating, and bonding. Produces a slightly blue iridescent layer and is temperature resistant up to 100°C. Conforms to MIL-DTL-81706 and MIL-5541 specifications.
• Passivation of Stainless Steel, Copper, and Brass Restoration of a passive, homogeneous, compact chromium oxide layer on stainless steel for improved corrosion resistance with self-repairing properties. Application of a chromate passive layer on copper and brass improves corrosion resistance and aesthetics. Can be performed with masking to protect specific areas.
• Chemical and Mechano-chemical Surface Preparation Pre-treatment services for metal surfaces including tribofinishing (decaling, deburring, polishing with ceramic and stainless steel media), microblasting/sandblasting/grit blasting (surface homogenization, scratch removal, satin finish, superficial hardening), degreasing, pickling, and brightening/satin finishing operations performed before primary treatment.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Helmar: French metal surface treatment specialist providing anodizing, plating, and finishing for industrial clients — directly comparable regional competitor to Decoral in France.
• ALANOD GmbH: German specialist in anodized aluminum strip and coil for architectural, lighting, and solar applications — comparable in aluminum anodizing expertise but operates at much larger industrial scale.
• Italcoat: Italian metal surface treatment service provider offering anodizing, plating, and conversion coatings for industrial clients — comparable boutique European anodizing service profile.
• HEF Group: French surface treatment specialist offering a broad range of tribological, anti-corrosion, and decorative coatings (anodizing, PVD, DLC) for automotive, aerospace, and industrial clients — directly comparable to Decoral in service mix and end-market exposure.

Emerging players

• Keronite: UK-based specialist in plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) for aluminum, magnesium, and titanium components serving aerospace, automotive, and electronics — emerging technology that competes with traditional anodizing on the same Decoral-served end-markets.

Broad incumbents

• Bodycote: Global metal surface treatment services group offering anodizing, plating, and heat treatment for aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers — comparable end-markets and service types though much larger scale than Decoral.
• Metal Improvement Company (Curtiss-Wright): Surface enhancement services (shot peening, coatings) for aerospace, automotive, and industrial clients — partial overlap with Decoral's surface preparation and finishing offerings.
• Aalberts Surface Technologies: Pan-European network of metal surface treatment service providers (anodizing, plating, heat treatment) serving industrial, aerospace, and medical clients — broader portfolio but overlapping core anodizing/passivation services with Decoral.
• Chemetall (BASF Coatings): Global supplier of surface treatment chemicals and processes for aluminum and other metals — overlaps with Decoral's pre-treatment and conversion coating service capability as both supplier and competitor in some geographies.

Others

• SurTec (Krahn Group): Supplier of surface treatment chemistries including the SURTEC 650 trivalent chromium passivation used by Decoral — adjacent chemistry vendor rather than direct service competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance6 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 Decoral