If you build electronics, I’m trying to spread the word about an idea I’ve been pursuing for using metal photo prints for electronics panels. Original blog post is here: http://frankie.graffagnino.net/2015/03/new-way-of-making-electronics-front.html
Here’s a video I made detailing some of the challenges and solutions for getting things sized correctly for two photo services… Bay Photo and AdoramaPix:
Like the idea will see if cost effective for our front panels. We currently use front panel express they have software so you can engrave and cut holes exactly we have been happy but always looking for best cost and new process. https://www.frontpanelexpress.com
Thats a cool idea Frank! Though, I will say, that building front panels was the impetus to me building my CNC router. I was going to send some panels to Front Panel Express but they get expensive VERY fast.
What about using a permanent felt tip pen on your CNC?
@Peter_Hanse @John_Scherer i agree that front panel express will probably give you something higher quality - at least until i can work out a few kinks with this system. But the price just goes too high for me for small hobby projects. For example, that panel I had made in the video wound up being about $5 per panel, shipped!
@Miguel_Sanchez i think that is a good idea too. If you had one with a very fine tip you might get all the detail you need.
There are a some downsides to this approach - one is that these photo services don’t have a way to do a transparent background, so you can’t let the panel look like aluminum. This is also a great strength compared to other front panel services if you want to have a full background image of stars or anything else… that would all be included at no cost. But if you want plain aluminum, I don’t think they can do that yet.
I prefer silkscreenprinting with a bit etching paste and a system for aluminum or PLA (NoriScreen®, …).
First I print the films with a old Epson Stylus R300. The exposure of the screens is easy - with a cheap UV-lamp for healtchcare. The result is good, sharp and repeatable. Frames are CNC made, the gaze is 200. A sharp squeegee is important.
Finally I dry it with a Elstein Ceramic Dryer at 320 degrees for 60 seconds. The films can be saved for later, the screens can be reused until the gaze is destroyed…
@Jan_Przybilla that sounds awesome. Any videos explaining this process and what to buy? Sounds like if I need to make more than couple that would be the way to go.
@Frank_Graffagnino no videos at the moment, but I can (try to) document the process next time with a camera for you. The exposure process is hard to get on camera - because of the UV light. Basically it is just the plain old screen printing process.
A good start is to buy a reusable screenprint frame (200’), screen coat and a UV-Lamp, a bottle of screen cleaner and a squeege.
And one good color system, White, black, cyan, magenta, yellow - you can mix all other tones with it.
It is cheaper to buy ready printed repro film (online service) - but printing own film is possible, too (you need special inkjet film - black must be 100% black).
Start with a exposure table and a test exposure - finally you get the exact exposure time for your lamp and your system. The use of screenpaste / thickener / thinner / etching. paste makes sense. You can make multicolor screens with registration marks, too. And you can print white on black.
Difficult is the print of round shapes (skateboards, helmets, …) but the print of flat shapes is repeatable and easy. The printing process is the quickest part of the process (10 Sec. per shield).
I can route you through every step in the process if you need help, just ask…