Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
(OP)
I am currently looking into the available options for applying text and possibly graphics to enclosures (300H x 300W x 210D).
The enclosures are to be Stainless steel or painted sheet steel, depending on what options are available for either in terms of quality and cost. The annual quantities we are looking for is approximately 50-off. Initial tooling cost can be high, as long as we can get the unit cost down.
Does anyone have any idea of what the best solution would be for each material? Does anyone know what method they use for applying text on cars? The enclosure chosen is likely to be stainless steel, if there is a good solution to applying text (and possibly graphics) on the enclosure.
The enclosures are to be Stainless steel or painted sheet steel, depending on what options are available for either in terms of quality and cost. The annual quantities we are looking for is approximately 50-off. Initial tooling cost can be high, as long as we can get the unit cost down.
Does anyone have any idea of what the best solution would be for each material? Does anyone know what method they use for applying text on cars? The enclosure chosen is likely to be stainless steel, if there is a good solution to applying text (and possibly graphics) on the enclosure.





RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
The last few days I have been working with a graphics house to see if they can come up with a stencil by using their knife cutter to cut a peel-off stencil. Then I can just plaster it onto my box face, spray paint it, and after waiting a bit, peel it off, and have a silk screen job, without the huge hassle.
I hope it works as then I could email the art off and get back, in the mail, my stencil. Then hunt up a can of paint the color I want, and poof - have what I want - on my time schedule without driving all over, or shipping panel doors.
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Supplies are cheap (Under $150 USD to get all you need). 1 screen, 1 can (quart is plenty) of paint, 1 squeegee, 1 can of screen cleaner/rags and some fixturing to keep the screen about .125" off the face of the enclosure. It is an art form but its pretty easy to learn and be able to produce quality marks in little time. Just remember use a sharp squeegee blade dragged through the paint at about a 45 deg angle in 1 nice pass.
I'd stay away from lasers if you plan on painted steel. Stainless steel maybe but silkscreening is a much better option.
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Before you spray color, spray a film of clear to stop the color from bleeding under the cut edges.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
When it's done, it looks as if someone placed a prick punch very precisely over a lettering template at precisely spaced fine intervals and whacked it very precisely with a very precise hammer. The lettering is deep enough to still be visible under powder coat.
I said precisely, not gently; it leaves a burnished witness mark on the far side where an anvil was supporting the stock, and crushed the texture out of the surface.
Every operation of that machine, including this one, is scary fast; you don't really hear the individual hammer blows.
But it's precise enough that you could do crisp lines to outline graphics with it.
Trumpf also offers embossing and beading tools, so you could press your company logo into the sheet, stuff like that.
Also, talk to a laser cutting service. If they crank the power down, they can do fairly high resolution, permanent graphics without burning holes through the sheet.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Bare fiberglass is a tough one for low-power CO2 systems (less than several hundred watts), though not impossible. Cutting is all but impossible with a lower-power unit, leading to heaving charring of the cut edge.
If the fiberglass has a coating (such as soldermask on an FR4 PCB), the etch can be quite nice, as the near-white fiberglass is a fairly stark contrast to the colored soldermask, and the resolution is reasonably high (300dpi is a no-brainer, and you may be able to get 500-600 dpi without issue). For a bit of texture you can etch deeper and remove the epoxy until the first bit of fiberglass is hit, but you hit a brick wall at that point.
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
See the second paragraph of my last reply... it's about engraving. If the fiberglass is coated with something colored that can be etched away, or if the resin is impregnated with a color that can be bleached by the laser, you have options. Otherwise your best bet is to create the engraving by charring the fiberglass... not pretty, and not of a high resolution.
Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
I'll see if I can get a picture of it.
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
Rich.....
Richard Nornhold, PE
http://www.ovenind.com
RE: Steel enclosure text & graphics û Etching / labelling / Engraving
A few places to try in the UK are Fascia Graphics, APEM and IGT Industries.
A single overlay with no holes and 2 colours would be very cost-effective. It's certainly an option I think you should explore!
Cheers