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To date, silk screening is one of the most effective ways of customizing an electrical enclosure. It is the easiest and the most affordable way. Any sides of the enclosure can be silkscreened as long as it is flat to avoid any deviance of the logo. Not only your logo can be silkscreened but also any labeling needs such as labeling operators (hand-off-auto, gas detection, emergency stop) and labels for externally installed devices. For companies that have a product line of enclosures and would like to have serial numbers on them silkscreen can be used for this process. Not only that it is cheap, effective, and beneficial – it can be done with any simple. color that you desire 

However, it is important to note that silk screening or powder-coated done on metals has the possibility to be scratched or peel off because of the metal surface – such as stainless steel and aluminum. In order to make the silk screening permanent, a clear powder coat should be applied after the silkscreening process to make the labels and the markings permanent. Silk screening is a very simple process and can be done quickly and smoothly. Once the logo and the markings are sent to the manufacturing company that does the silk screening, it is ready to be processed. The paint used in making the labels are made sure to match the design. The process takes a very easy procedure. The screen is mounted on the frame of the design and the enclosure is placed on a fixture to hold it steadily – stability of both pieces should be ensured. Ink is now pushed through the screen through a rubber paddle. After which, the paint will be dried using an oven. If there is a need for multiple colors, separate screens should be used and it is done by layering the artwork. Proper fixturing of the silkscreen can allow many colors to be used on the same surface of the enclosure. Generally speaking, we are able to powder coat on any materials, however, NEMA 6 and up ( 6, 6P, 7) are not recommended for this because they are always facing a lot of water. NEMA 4x enclosure, on the other hand, is recommended to be powder coated for corrosion resistance on steel and aluminum.

Another option companies can choose is engraving. It is also one of the most common ways of customizing enclosures for companies. However, it is more expensive than silk screening and it can take a longer time to finish. But the results last longer than even permanent silk screening. This process involves scratching or removing the surface of the metal to match the design of the logo and labels to be put on. Usually, a small amount of metal amounting to .005” to .010” is removed by one of these two ways: mechanical via milling operation or chemically via an etching process. The last step of the process would be filling the removed area by epoxy paint to match the desired color for the design or enclosure. 

Finally, it is important to note to review the design and submit it in a high resolution as possible. Simply state the logo sizing and color requirements in a .pdf or .eps format. The recommended application to use is Adobe Illustrator. Also, indicate the location of the labels on the enclosure.