Modular Synth Panels

I was sent a link about laser etching of graphics over punched and prepared panels.  It seems 
cheap and may be useful for some things.  Anybosy know more  abiut this process ?

A friend of mine has a small company that builds electronic devices and 
he invested in one of those lasers. It's kind of like the old X/Y flat 
bed plotters except there's a laser. One thing that works very well is 
using the laser to remove anodizing. So start with a black anodized 
panel and end up with silver lettering. Very sharp and long lasting. The 
other thing to do is use plastic that has two layers of different color 
(commonly used for signs). The laser takes off the top layer and can 
make the holes and cut the edges, which it can't do with aluminum. He 
made me a plastic panel for a MOTM-440 filter I crammed into Frac Rack 
format and that worked fine backed up by a metal plate but in the future 
I think I'll make anodized aluminum panels at Front Panel Express (or 
some place like that) and use the laser to do the graphics. FPE's not so 
expensive if you're only making holes. Oh there is also a chemical you 
can apply to non-anodized aluminum which makes it photosensitive for the 
laser. This produces black lettering and it's a very permanent bond. My 
friend has not tried this yet. I think this may be what's used on the 
PlanB modules. Run your finger over it and you don't feel anything, 
unlike silk screened graphics.

Has anybody here ever experimented with getting panels graphics anodized onto the aluminum?
I would like to find some more info on companies that do this in small batches (like 10 panels)


Tony
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Has anybody here ever experimented with getting panels graphics anodized onto the aluminum?
I would like to find some more info on companies that do this in small batches (like 10 panels)

Several modular synth companies (including Synthasonic) use these guys. I've had only positive experiences with them...
http://www.mpofcinci.com /

If this is the case, why are we not using this process more.  I mean pots, knobs and switches 
are usuriously priced.  There must be an artisan oriented shop that would give us 
consideration.

At 03:11 PM 2/5/2008, adaaxs wrote:

>If this is the case, why are we not using this process more.  I mean 
>pots, knobs and switches
>are usuriously priced.  There must be an artisan oriented shop that 
>would give us
>consideration.

If *what* is the case? No context = vague meaning. (I don't use the 
Yahoo system, I get the messages via email.)

Pots are cheap, with Alphas running a dollar and change. Sealed pots 
are much more expensive, so why use them?

Knobs range from cheap to expensive, depending on what you want.

Most switches are just a few bucks each, though some run more.

A front panel requires functional design, graphic design, and 
camera-ready artwork. Then, after your panels are imaged, you've got 
to make holes in the panel for mounting the components (drill press or punch).

Not really sure what you are saying/asking.

John 


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On Feb 5, 2008, at 2:11 PM, adaaxs wrote:
> If this is the case, why are we not using this process more.  I  
> mean pots, knobs and switches
> are usuriously priced.  There must be an artisan oriented shop that  
> would give us
> consideration.

it's more expensive to set up a shop to run photo-aluminum than  
silkscreening.

also, it's stepped out on a big sheet. you have to do a whole run of  
panels which is an integer multiple of the yield of the stepped  
layout, and then you have to either be smart enough to set up a  
dimensional drawing and pay extra for CNC programming and routing  
(which you are aware of), or you have to have sheetmetal tools (like  
me) and fabricate it yourself.

coming from a publishing background i was pretty equipped to deal  
with this, but if you're not used to dealing with the printing  
industry it is a bit more difficult (for example: don't even think  
about doing this stuff in Photoshop.) i now have a couple years  
experience in dealing with this stuff and quite frankly i won't ever  
look back. it's more work and more money (it might be cheaper on the  
outset but if you maintain a bunch of sheet metal tools like i do  
that has to be factored in, and i use cheap tools) but i totally love  
it.

however, alot of people seem to like silkscreening, and in fact the  
only complaints i've heard from people about my modules is "why don't  
you make real MOTM modules" so if you're doing panels for the whole  
MOTM thing that you expect to have full market penetration it would  
be a bad idea to use photo-aluminum.
---
Suit & Tie Guy
suitandtieguy.com
stgsoundlabs.com

There is also here in California: 

http://www.millerdial.com/nameplates.shtml

Miller supply panels in either of the anodized/photosensitive
aluminium plate processes Metalphoto and Fotofoil.

The latter being the one used on Moog modules and still used by
Modusonics.

 [ reference: http://www.synthesizers.com/moogpanels.txt ]

* note: Miller get their plate material from Metalphoto which is now
the original manufacturer of both types of pre-anodized
photosensistive aluminium.

$500.00 minimum charge. Haven't used them myself.

I'd seen a sample of laser etching from a local company used by a
precision engineering firm I know here, but lost track of the name for
the moment. I had meant to talk to them about imaging fonts beyond
simplistic thin line lettering from the sample. I'll forward when I
track it down. Think this would be better for MOTM since the
information I was given was they would burn graphics onto pre-anodized
drilled panel material.

There were a number of quite a few other local panel makers found in
hunting around on the internet that supply laser etching. You could
make a career out of checking out all these houses. Fair assumption
you'd want to find a place like FPE that handle the whole panel from
your artwork or file or from a punched anodized panel.

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, Sam Ecoff <secoff@...> wrote:

>
> 
> On Feb 3, 2008, at 2:38 PM, Anthony Rolando wrote:
> 
> >
> > Has anybody here ever experimented with getting panels graphics  
> > anodized onto the aluminum?
> > I would like to find some more info on companies that do this in  
> > small batches (like 10 panels)
> >
> >
> > Tony
> 
> Hi Tony...
> 
> Several modular synth companies (including Synthasonic) use these  
> guys. I've had only positive experiences with them...
> 
> http://www.mpofcinci.com/
> 
> HTH
> 
> Sam E.
> _______________________________
> Sam Ecoff
> Synthasonic
> 1120 N. Market St.
> Milwaukee, WI 53202
> www.synthasonic.com
>