State of the art...
fully capable.

Yeuell Nameplate & Label - Processes for Our Custom Product Identification Systems

Etching

Etched Yeuell nameplates are created by printing an image with an acid resistant coating on the material. The metal sheets are then soaked in an acid bath where the exposed areas of the metal are washed away. When a sufficient amount of material is removed the metal sheets are removed from the acid bath and rinsed and dried. When they are dry, the entire sheet is painted with an enamel paint and baked to cure. After baking, the sheets are soaked in a cleaning solution which dissolves the acid resistant coating that was originally printed. After they are cleaned, etched Yeuell nameplates get clear coat lacquered and baked for extra protection and durability for use indoors and outdoors.

Lithography

The lithograph process is an offset printing operation where a master image is transferred onto a metal printing plate. The printing plate is mounted to a very specialized flat bed offset press. A moving carriage which contains a series of inking rollers and a rubber cylinder (called a blanket) rolls over the plate and the image appears on the blanket. The blanket transfers the image to another area of the press where the nameplate is located and it receives the image. The lithograph process applies a very small amount of ink to the material. It is possible to achieve extremely fine detail in both direct and reverse print. One of the drawbacks to the lithograph process is that it does not weather well when placed outdoors or in other harsh environments.

Screen Printing

Screen printed Yeuell nameplates are similar in construction to lithographed nameplates where and ink is printed directly on top (or in the case of some of our transparent plastics, the bottom) of the material. A stencil is applied to a tightly stretched polyester screen. Ink is pushed through the open areas in the screen using a squeegee onto the nameplate material. Screen printed Yeuell nameplates also get clear coat lacquered and baked for beauty and durability. Screen printed nameplates are printed with hard light-fast inks which makes them suitable for use indoors and outdoors. They are more expensive than lithographed nameplates but less expensive and less durable than etched Yeuell nameplates.

Photo Anodizing

An image is exposed onto specially coated aluminum. The aluminum is developed much like a piece of photographic film. The aluminum sheet is then sealed which traps the image in the metal under an anodized layer. The result is an extremely hard chemical and heat resistant nameplate. Photo anodized aluminum labels or nameplates do not require any additional lacquer for protection. The photo anodizing process uses a photographic film master, therefore there are no plates or screen required. This method of manufacturing lends itself well to producing small quantities of highly durable nameplates with a fast turn-around time.

Mechanical Engraving

A high speed rotary cutting tool cuts into the surface of the metal or plastic. An enamel paint is then filled into the engraved area. Our engraving is done electronically. We can take artwork files which could include logos or special characters and transfer them directly to an engraved nameplate. We can accept data files of many unique names or legends.

Laser Engraving

A laser beam coupled with a CNC driver can precisely and quickly engrave detail down to .005" This process is great for fine detail on plastic and for permanently marking stainless steel with a ceramic fired black copy.

Finishing

A complete range of decorative and protective finishes is available. These include:gloss or clear, matte lacquer. Polyester, polypropelene and polycarbonate over-laminates. Urethane doming, and finishes that allow the surface to accept marking by ball-point pen or by typewriter.

State of the art... fully capable.