What Optical Coating Technologies does

Optical Coating Technologies Ltd., founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK, is a specialist applicator of optically clear coatings onto thermoplastic substrates including polycarbonate, PMMA (acrylic), PPSU, polyurethane, ABS, PC/ABS, and ASA. Since its January 2014 acquisition by Impreglon UK, the company has operated as a member of the international Impreglon Group (now part of Aalberts Surface Treatment) alongside sister sites in Rhode Island (USA) and Lübeck (Germany). The company holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications and contributes to British Standards through BSI committee membership.

The technology platform centres on proprietary polysiloxane-based chemistries in the SafeCoat 400 Series — including SafeCoat 401, 404, 407, and 411 variants — supplemented by physical vapour deposition (PVD) of gold, silver, copper, aluminium, and indium onto plastics at sub-100°C, and the parent group's ABRASIL UV-curable coatings. Coatings are applied in ISO 5 clean room environments (with ISO 3 standard areas) via spray, dip, and flow methods, then thermally or UV cured to deliver scratch/abrasion resistance, chemical and solvent resistance, UV stability, anti-fog, anti-glare, anti-static, anti-microbial (>99.9% kill vs. MRSA and E. coli per ISO 22196), and anti-graffiti performance, with documented metrics such as 93.5% transparency at 550nm and <12% haze at 500 rpm Taber abrasion.

Commercial operations span coating services, ready-coated polycarbonate and acrylic sheet supply (including exclusive UK/Ireland distribution of KRD Polycarbonate, 1mm–20mm thickness), a "One Stop Shop" full supply chain service covering moulding, sub-assembly, reverse engineering and project management, and finished goods such as BS EN 169:2002 compliant welding visors. Customers are blue-chip manufacturers in automotive (Tier 1/2 for headlamps, trim, switches, mirrors), railway (rolling stock glazing, anti-graffiti panels, LED signals), security and PPE (fireman's visors, riot shields, gas masks), medical devices, lighting and signage, architecture, sports, and defence — with named references including Team GB for 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics sport visors and German Police patrol car glazing since the early 1980s. The company sells through direct sales (telephone, email, on-site technical visits, free samples) and trade shows (LuxLive, Rail Live, Automotive Interiors Stuttgart, Advanced Engineering, Medtec Ireland), serving clients across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, the Americas, and India on quote-based pricing with no minimum order quantity.

Name

Optical Coating Technologies

Legal name

Optical Coating Technologies Ltd.

Website

https://optical-coatings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Optical Coating Technologies is a UK-based specialist applicator of optically clear polysiloxane hardcoats, anti-fog/anti-microbial coatings, and PVD metallisation onto thermoplastic substrates, serving blue-chip manufacturers in automotive, railway, safety/PPE, medical, lighting, and architectural sectors from its Tamworth facility as part of the Impreglon Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Optical Coatings

NAICS

Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities (33281)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Application Equipment & Coating Services (Contract Coating, Surface Prep) (IMAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Optical coating services
• Thermoplastic coating applications
• Abrasion resistant coatings
• Vacuum deposition coatings
• Anti-fog plastic coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Tamworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coating Services: Application of optically clear coatings onto thermoplastic products including scratch resistant, anti-fog, anti-glare, UV resistant, chemical resistant, and anti-microbial coatings. Applied via spray, dip, and flow coating methods in ISO 5 clean room conditions.
2. Coated Sheet Supply: Stockholding and supply of plain and ready coated Polycarbonate sheets (1mm to 20mm thickness). Can be supplied as full size 3m x 2m pieces or cut/CNC profiled to final specification. Includes KRD Polycarbonate as exclusive UK/Ireland distributor.
3. One Stop Shop Services: Complete supply chain management including sourcing mould makers, plastic raw materials, moulding companies, and coating services. Also offers stamping, crimping, sub-assembly, reverse engineering, and project management services.
4. Vacuum Deposition Coating: Metallisation services applying gold, silver, copper, aluminium coatings via vapour deposition for mirrors, fireman's visors, eye safety wear, medical components, and automotive decorative trim.
5. Ready-to-Use Products: Supply of complete products including green tinted Triacetate welding visors at various shade levels to BS EN 169:2002, and tinted Polycarbonate sheets in various colours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Optical Coating Technologies is a specialist applicator of optically clear coatings onto thermoplastic components such as Polycarbonate, PMMA (Acrylic), PPSU, Polyurethane, ABS, PC/ABS and ASA. The company applies proprietary polysiloxane-based SafeCoat formulations, abrasion-resistant, anti-fog, anti-glare, anti-microbial, UV-resistant, and vacuum-deposited metal coatings using spray, dip, and flow methods within ISO 5 clean room conditions. It also distributes KRD Polycarbonate sheet exclusively in the UK and Ireland and offers a One Stop Shop supply chain service covering sourcing, moulding, coating, sub-assembly and project management.

Product overview

Optical Coating Technologies is a specialist applicator of optically clear coatings onto thermoplastic products, operating as a coating service provider rather than a software platform. The core product portfolio consists of coating application services delivered through five main product lines: (1) Hard and Abrasion Resistant Coatings providing scratch, chemical, and UV resistance; (2) Anti-Fog and Non-Mist Coatings for clear vision applications; (3) Anti-Glare Coatings for eyewear and displays; (4) Vacuum Deposition Coatings using metals (gold, silver, copper, aluminium) via PVD; and (5) Ready-Coated Polycarbonate and Acrylic Sheet products. Supporting offerings include the SafeCoat 400 series proprietary coatings (including SafeCoat 411 anti-microbial), Tinted Triacetate for welding protection, Fingerprint Friendly Coating for easy-clean surfaces, ABRASIL UV coatings from parent Impreglon, and the One Stop Shop supply chain management service. All coatings are applied in ISO 5 clean room conditions using dip, flow, or spray application methods, with thermal or UV curing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SafeCoat 400 Series: A range of polysiloxane-based optically clear coatings including abrasion resistant, chemical resistant, UV resistant, and anti-microbial properties. Includes SafeCoat 400, 401, 404, 407, 411 variants.
• SafeCoat 411
• ABRASIL

Products and services

• Hard and Abrasion Resistant Coatings

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.9%+ bacteria kill rate with SafeCoat 411 anti-microbial coating (ISO 22196 tested against MRSA and E. coli)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• German Office for Motor Vehicles (KBA)minorOthers · 1 October 2010The KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) issued general type approval to KRD compound pane SCS-V44 in October 2010 - the first laminated plastic pane in the world to receive KBA approval. Optical Coating Technologies distributes this approved product.
• Impreglon Group (PVD Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptical Coating Technologies is a member of the PVD Group within the worldwide Impreglon Group. Sister sites in Rhode Island (USA) and Lübeck (Germany) enable cross-group collaboration and technology sharing. The ABRASIL coating range is manufactured by the parent Impreglon company.
• KRD (Kunststoff-Redler-Deutschland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOptical Coating Technologies is the exclusive UK and Ireland stockholder and distributor of KRD Polycarbonate sheet. KRD supplies high-quality polycarbonate sheet used in applications ranging from police patrol car glazing to Olympic Stadium construction, including the Athens Olympic Stadium roof.
• Rail AllianceminorOthersRail Alliance membership enables Optical Coating Technologies to showcase coating services to the rail industry, participate in industry events like 'Light After Dark', and access rail industry networking opportunities.
• Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)minorOthersSMMT membership brings Optical Coating Technologies capabilities to the forefront of the UK automotive industry, facilitating connections with automotive manufacturers and suppliers.
• British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF)minorOthersBSIF membership recognises Optical Coating Technologies' role in the safety industry and provides opportunities to contribute to ongoing improvements in protective eyewear quality standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Biocoat: Biocoat specialises in hydrophilic and anti-microbial coatings for medical devices, particularly catheters and guidewires — narrower medical focus but directly comparable anti-microbial coating technology to SafeCoat 411.
• Aculon: Aculon specialises in nano-scale surface treatment coatings including hydrophobic, oleophobic, anti-fingerprint, and anti-microbial formulations for electronics, medical devices, and industrial parts — comparable specialty functional coatings portfolio though with a chemistry-platform focus rather than toll application.
• Harland Medical Systems: Harland Medical Systems develops and applies anti-microbial, hydrophilic, and lubricious coatings for medical devices — overlaps with Optical Coating Technologies' SafeCoat 411 anti-microbial offering for medical and healthcare customers.

Direct peers

• Reynard Corporation: Reynard supplies thin-film optical coatings, ITO coatings, and custom coated optical components for aerospace, military, medical, and industrial markets — directly comparable specialty optical coating services on plastic and glass substrates.
• Exxene Corporation: Exxene formulates and applies specialty hard coatings, anti-fog, UV-curable, and functional coatings for plastic substrates used in aerospace, automotive, medical, and safety applications — a direct competitor in the optically clear, abrasion-resistant coating niche.
• Nanofilm Technologies: Nanofilm provides thin-film optical coatings, anti-fingerprint, and functional surface coatings for plastics, glass, and metal substrates across automotive, consumer electronics, and industrial applications — directly comparable technology and customer base.
• SDC Technologies: SDC Technologies (a Covestro subsidiary) is a leading global developer and supplier of abrasion-resistant, anti-fog, and specialty optical coatings for polycarbonate and other plastics — directly competing with Optical Coating Technologies' SafeCoat range in eyewear, automotive, and display end-markets.
• Dontech: Dontech designs and applies optical coatings, EMI/RFI shielding, and transparent conductive coatings on plastic and glass substrates for displays, avionics, and medical devices — comparable customer set and coating-on-plastic capability.

Broad incumbents

• Impreglon Group (Aalberts Surface Treatment): Aalberts Surface Treatment (formerly Impreglon) is the parent group operating a global network of industrial coating service centres including PVD, wet spray, and specialty coatings — broader industrial coating portfolio but with shared technology platforms (ABRASIL) and overlapping automotive/industrial customers.

Regional players

• Cotec GmbH: Cotec is a German specialist in PVD and vacuum-deposition coatings on plastics and metals, serving automotive, medical, and decorative markets across the DACH region — directly comparable vacuum-metallisation capability though focused on mainland Europe rather than UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/optical_coating
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=N9cFWVeI9qg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/optical-coating-technologies-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Optical Coating Technologies