Electronic Control Panels

When you look at a microwave oven, a washing machine, or even large industrial equipment, the control panel initially catches your eye. This interaction is the first a customer will have with your products, so why not use our customised graphic overlays to make your control panels memorable and eye-catching?

Control panels display valuable information and your branding and marketing. Our graphic overlays can highlight operating instructions or related information for users when it comes to equipment that needs electrical control panels.

For over 40 years, Foster Graphics has supplied many local businesses in all industries with specialist printing services, such as graphic overlays. Proudly Kiwi, we support big and small companies.

Quality Materials

If you’re a control panel manufacturer, one of the most important aspects to consider about graphic overlays is their durability. They must last and continue to look good for a long time, especially on surfaces such as control panels that endure considerable wear and tear day after day. For your specific requirements, we select the most robust materials from reputable materials and brands: polycarbonate (Lexan®) or hard-coated polyester (PET) film.

To prevent the image on the graphic overlay from scratching, scuffing or fading due to excess wear, we reverse print the film on the bottom surface. We then texture the top surface to reduce glare and to ensure it can withstand light scratching without showing any unsightly fingerprint marks.

Texturing options for our graphic overlays are available in various formats, depending on the type of control panels you have and their application:

• Embossing
  This texturing technique is ideal for the actual product buttons that control your appliance or machine. The embossing process elevates panel features by turning them into 3D. We add embossed features to a graphic overlay by pressing the printed film in a specially formed embossing block.
  The selected film quality is, therefore, critical to the final product. Any stresses during the embossing process produce hardening around the embossed control buttons. It can even lead to localised cracking and allow moisture or dirt to gain entry. Preventing this is vital to maintain your equipment’s Ingress Protection (IP) rating. The IP rating classifies the degree of protection an electrical equipment enclosure provides.
  After testing them thoroughly, we only use hard-coated PET films for embossing to exceed a million button pushes. Our careful material selection and technical know-how result in graphic overlays for your control panels that stand the test of time through prolonged use.
• Clear windows
  Control panels can have LCD or LED screens that must remain visible, even when viewed through a textured film. While we generally opt for textured films to resist wear and continue to look good well into the future, users must always be able to see such screens. Our graphic overlays can be designed with clear windows in carefully selected places so users can easily see the display underneath. Meanwhile, the textured film continues with its job of protecting the surface.
• Adhesive
  We use acrylic adhesives to fix our graphic overlays to your control panels, whether for appliances, machinery, or user interfaces for electronic equipment. Using the correct adhesive, best suited to the mating surface, is critical to ensure a quality bond and finish. Some plastics are susceptible to adhesive selection; our expert team will ensure you get the right result. However, user-friendly features such as control buttons or screens must also be protected from adhesive. If this is the case, we have the technical ability to design and manufacture graphic overlays for control panels that have adhesive in select places only.

This is where our mantra of quality comes to the fore. We only use adhesives from leading brands such as 3M and Nitto to guarantee a good bond strength unaffected by temperature, UV light, and chemical exposure. It also adds to the lifespan of our graphic overlays as they can withstand harsh environmental conditions.

When it comes to graphic overlays for control panels, Foster Graphics is your answer. Our experience and focus on quality add value to your appliance and machine interfaces to enhance the user experience.