When we designed our replacement key housings, we wanted to build something that would last, not just something that looked good when it came out of the box.
That philosophy is behind nearly every decision we make.
So when we started hearing from customers that the color on some Cerakote-finished housings had eventually become worn while the rest of the housing was still perfectly usable, we started looking for a better solution.
We're excited to introduce DeepDye Coloring as our new premium color option.
The Problem With a Surface Finish
Cerakote has been a great option for adding color to our housings. It provides a durable ceramic coating with good resistance to everyday wear, and it has allowed us to offer colors that aren't otherwise available.
But there is an inherent limitation to any finish that exists as a separate layer on top of the underlying material: the finish is still a separate layer.
A key fob is handled constantly. It gets carried in pockets, tossed onto tables, battered by whatever else is kept on the same key ring, and exposed to the oils and moisture that naturally come from handling it every day. Over enough time, even a durable surface coating can show wear.
We've had customers contact us about exactly that.
In some cases, the housing itself was still in excellent condition. The titanium reinforcement was good as new. The screws and hardware were fine. The customer's original OEM electronics and buttons were still working well.
The part that had aged was simply the colored surface.
That didn't sit particularly well with us.
If we're going to engineer our housings to last, we wanted the finish to live up to the rest of the product.
Enter DyeMansion DeepDye
Instead of coating the part, infuse the color into the material. For our new premium color options, we're using DyeMansion DeepDye Coloring (DDC) instead of a surface coating.
DeepDye is an industrial coloring process developed specifically for 3D-printed polymer parts. Rather than applying a colored coating on top of the part, the process uses heat and pressure to infuse pigment into the surface pores of the polymer. DyeMansion's system is designed to provide consistent, repeatable coloration for the very materials and processes we use to produce our housings.
The simplest way to think about the difference is:
Cerakote: color is applied as a surface coating.
DeepDye: pigment is infused into the surface of the nylon.
One of the reasons we use PA12 nylon in the first place is its suitability for a functional product that needs to withstand everyday use.
DyeMansion describes DeepDye as an end-use coloring process intended to maintain the mechanical properties of the underlying material while providing durable coloration. They also report testing for color fastness and scratch resistance, along with light and heat resistance for applicable color systems.
That's important to us. We want the same engineered housing strength and durability as always, just with a better way of adding color.
For something like a key fob that gets handled every day, that's exactly the kind of finishing process we're interested in.
Which Finish Should You Choose?
We don't think Cerakote suddenly became a bad option. It remains a good choice if you want a colored housing with a durable ceramic surface coating.
Our new DeepDye option is for customers who want to take the finish a step further and prioritize long-term color durability to match the "last key you'll ever need" intent behind our designs. It's a more involved finishing process that we're offering because we believe it provides a better long-term finish for a product that is handled every day.
And if you simply want a straightforward, durable black housing, our standard black option remains standard for a reason.
In short:
Black → Simple, durable, and functional.
Cerakote → Durable ceramic surface coating with a wide range of color options.
DeepDye → Premium coloration with pigment infused into the surface of the PA12 nylon.
Why this fits our approach to product design
We've always tried to approach our key housings as engineered products rather than simply replacement plastic shells. We're here to make a key housing that is built to last.
For our remote-head keys, for example, two grade 5 titanium plates sandwich the key blade and distribute the force of turning the key across a much larger area of the housing. This reduces the stress concentrated in the plastic around the blade and helps address one of the common failure points of conventional key housings.
Our housings themselves are 3D printed from PA12 nylon rather than injection molding. The result is a uniform printed material without the mold-flow considerations and residual-stress considerations inherent to conventional injection molding.
We use press-fit nuts and M2 flat socket cap screws to secure the housings, and our premium kits include low-strength threadlocker and a Wera® hex driver for installation.
In other words, we spend a lot of time thinking about how the housing will hold up years after it leaves our shop. That's why we're confident enough in our products to offer a Lifetime Warranty.
DeepDye is another step in the same direction.
When a customer tells us that something isn't holding up the way they expected, we don't want our response to simply be, "That's normal."
We'd rather ask:"Can we make it better?"
In this case, the answer led us to a new manufacturing process.
Try DeepDye for yourself
Our new DeepDye color options are now available, and we're offering 10% off DeepDye finishes during the launch period with coupon code "FRESH" at checkout.
If you're already planning to replace your key housing, this is a great opportunity to try our newest premium finish at the introductory price.
SHOP DEEPDYE KEY HOUSINGS
Available for:
KEY KIT - YMD1 - Titanium Reinforced Toyota / Lexus
TITAN Fob for Honda 3 Button - Titanium Reinforced Key Upgrade Kit
TITAN Fob for Honda 4 Button - Titanium Reinforced Key Upgrade Kit