Front panel fabrication - low cost shops

[AnalogKid]

Back when I was actually paid to sit on my butt in front of a computer for much of the day, I had a 40,000 sqft metal shop underneath my office. They were magicians, and I am permanently spoiled. I can do good enough panel work, but it is tedious.

There have been several threads about low cost pcb fab shops. This question is about sheet metal shops. I have a variety of small and medium sized enclosures, and want to know if there is a pcb-equivalent for sheet metal. I'm after a semi-pro look for hobby projects. Very small lots, don't care about delivery delays, prefer low cost. There are places in town that can do this, but the costs are way high.

One option I have considered is having a pcb shop make the panels out of FR-4, but I'd like to stick with aluminum.
Thanks.

ak

 

[For The Popcorn]

When I did a project for the regional FAA, they would never commit to purchasing more than 10 units at a time, although eventually they ordered 60+ total. Ordering small quantities of aluminum panels can be prohibitively costly so I needed to find an alternative.

The solution was laser-cut and engraved acrylic panels from Rowmark Colorcast acrylic. This material is ideal for the purpose. The front surface is 3mm thick clear acrylic with a hardcote finish. The color comes from a thin opaque layer on the back of the panel. Labels are created by engraving text/lines, etc. from the back of the panel through the color layer and literally slopping acrylic paint into the cuts – no finesse is required. Labels may be painted in as many colors as desired.

Unpainted engraved areas show up as a find of frosted light gray area. Illuminated areas can be made with LEDs behind the panel. I was able to replace Illuminated switches with tactile switches surrounded by Illuminated rings, providing a unique look, a nice feel, a longer operating life at a significant reduction in BOM cost.

 

[For The Popcorn]

One final point to make. My initial batch of Wake Turbulence Timers had painted aluminum panels made by the FAA shop. After 3 or 4 years of use, those aluminum panels have been metal in the touch areas. The paint has been worn through. Meanwhile, timers with the acrylic panels with similar or even higher use show no wear whatsoever.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Try searching for "Metal label control panel" and see what comes up??
eg.

John Beaumont Limited

01484 531969

beaumont-ltd.co.uk

Metal Control Panel Manufacturers, Producers & Suppliers

We’re leading manufacturers, producers & suppliers of metal control panels. Trust our 45 years’ experience & state-of-the-art facilities - enquire today.

www.gsmgraphicarts.com

Control Panel Labelling - Customise Your Own in Engraved Plastic.

Customise your control panel labels with an unlimited amount of hole placement features on your sign. Try our pre-made templates here!

www.sld-ltd.co.uk

Heavy aluminium label material is 1 - 1.5mm, about the same as a small enclosure panel. Or you can stick it over a thicker panel.


Aluprint / Anoprint is another technique that some panel/label places can do, it gives phenomenal results, and can be done on heavier aluminium, with multiple colours and the pigment set below the material surface so it does not wear off - but that tends to be expensive.



Another option is Traffolyte or similar (multilayer laminated engraving material). Again, that's thick enough for small panels on its own, or can be used over larger panels.

Traffolyte Control Panels and Fascia Boards - Order direct from TCE

Traffolyte control panels and fascia boards are custom engraved to your exact specification. We can laser engrave complex machine control panels for marine, aerospace, oil and gas, and manufacturing industries. Traffolyte is available in a wide range of colours to provide clear instruction...

traffolyte.com

 

[eTech]

Back when I was actually paid to sit on my butt in front of a computer for much of the day, I had a 40,000 sqft metal shop underneath my office. They were magicians, and I am permanently spoiled. I can do good enough panel work, but it is tedious.

There have been several threads about low cost pcb fab shops. This question is about sheet metal shops. I have a variety of small and medium sized enclosures, and want to know if there is a pcb-equivalent for sheet metal. I'm after a semi-pro look for hobby projects. Very small lots, don't care about delivery delays, prefer low cost. There are places in town that can do this, but the costs are way high.

One option I have considered is having a pcb shop make the panels out of FR-4, but I'd like to stick with aluminum.
Thanks.

ak

If you learn how to use 3d cad ( like designspark mechanical-free), you would draw the box, submit the file, and get a printed box back. There's a learning curve though. Material can be just about anything.

I don't buy enclosure for electronics anymore.

 

[AnalogKid]

I have an assortment of small and medium sized instrument enclosures from the 70's and 80's. All I need are the flat panels.

ak

 

[For The Popcorn]

Honestly, if you want 1-off panels or even a few, the method I mentioned in post #2 is probably your best bet.

A 1' × 2' panel is $50, so it's not exactly cheap, but the cost to laser cut & engrave a panel should be fairly cheap at a service bureau – maybe $5 or $10. Painting the etched labels is literally as I said – slop the paint on to cover the grooves.

 

[eTech]

I used to use dry transfer lettering. Paint flat light gray, apply the lettering, then spray over with flat matt acrylic spay. Looks good and lasts forever. I used this method to make test fixtures in an electronic test department back is the 70s/80s.

 

[ZipZapOuch]

FR4 is an easy solution and you can leave the copper on the back side for EMI shielding.
If that doesn't work, I've used these guys and 4x6 simple, one color was about $75 (there minimum?). The software lets you see the price as you go. They can do inkjet printing with very durable ink directly on aluminum sheet.
Prices of some of their past projects are on their "inspirations" page.

Front Panel Express Inspiration

On this page, you can see a range of customer examples from already completed projects. Get inspired!

www.frontpanelexpress.com