Options for Custom Legend Plates for Varying Applications and Requirements

From the material and coating to hole size and placement, engraving of text or graphics and much more, your options for custom legend plates are nearly limitless!

When it comes to custom legend plates for switches, push buttons, and any type of control panel, there are so many options available to suit different environments and requirements.

Here are some common features and customization options you can consider.

1. Hole Placement: Legend plates can be designed to fit specific switch or push-button sizes, such as 22mm or 30mm toggle switches. The hole placement ensures a proper fit for your equipment and helps to keep environmental hazards from getting behind the plate and damaging the adhesive or the equipment underneath.

2. Engraving: Laser engraving is typically the best choice for legend plates as it provides durable and long-lasting markings that keep their clarity and readability for the long run. Engraved plates are typically made from materials like stainless steel, aluminum or plastic, and the engraving process creates permanent text and symbols that won’t wear off like standard printing can.

3. Coloring: Legend plates can be colored to enhance visibility and aesthetics, typically when using anodized aluminum or printed plastic plates. You can choose from a range of standard colors or even request custom colors to match your specific requirements depending on the material your application requires.

4. UV Printing: Alternatively, legend plates can be printed using methods like UV printing on plastic and even some metals. This allows for detailed and colorful designs, including bold graphics and icons.

5. Materials: Legend plates are commonly made from durable materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, or high-quality plastic. The choice of material depends on factors like the environment, level of durability required, and cost considerations.

6. Protective Coatings: In environments where legend plates may be exposed to harsh conditions, you can opt for additional protective coatings. These coatings can provide resistance to chemicals, UV radiation, or abrasion, ensuring the longevity of the legend plates.

7. Customization: With Nap Tags, you have the option to fully customize legend plates to your exact specifications. This includes the ability to create the exact size, shape, text, symbols, and other design elements you need.

Talk with the Custom Legend Plate Experts!

The Nap Tags manufacturing team has been creating custom metal and plastic legend plates for over a decade and we have the capabilities to create nearly any type of plate you need.

From ultra-durable Aluma-Tough legend plates that withstand harsh elements for 20+ years to lightweight and colorful plastic plates, we can do it all!

Call our friendly experts at 1-800-451-3330 use our online Request a Quote Form.

The Durability of Metal and Plastic Legend Plates in Harsh Industrial Applications

Legend & ID Plates, Product News

The Durability of Metal and Plastic Legend Plates in Harsh Industrial Applications

When operating in tough environments, the material you use for control panel legend plates makes all the difference in long-lasting durability.

In the vast landscape of industrial environments, where machinery, equipment, and systems often operate under extreme conditions, legend plates play a crucial role in conveying information and ensuring efficient, safe operation.

Legend plates, typically made of metal or plastic, provide clear and durable labeling for control panels, toggle switches, push buttons, and other various instruments.

This article explores and compares how different types of metal and plastic legend plates withstand the challenges posed by tough industrial settings.

Metal Legend Plates

Metal legend plates are used for their strength and ability to endure demanding industrial environments that contain chemicals, moisture, extreme temperatures, UV rays and more. They are typically made of the strongest and most durable metals such as stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or brass.

The top qualities of metal legend plates include:

1. Better Durability: Metal plates are highly resistant to impact, abrasion, and extreme temperatures daily. They can withstand harsh weather conditions, corrosive chemicals, and physical stress, making them suitable for heavy-duty industrial applications over an extended period.

2. Enhanced Chemical Resistance: Metal legend plates provide excellent resistance to chemicals, including harsh solvents and cleaning agents commonly found in industrial applications. This resistance ensures that the labels remain intact and legible, ensuring safety and efficiency for the long run.

3. Heightened UV Stability: Metal is a great choice to withstand prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation without fading or degradation. This feature makes them ideal for outdoor applications or environments with strong UV exposure from the sun or other bright lighting.

4. Improved Longevity: Metal legend plates have a longer lifespan compared to plastic. They resist fading, cracking, and peeling, ensuring that the labels remain visible and functional for an extended period.

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Plastic Legend Plates

Plastic legend plates offer a more cost-effective alternative to metal plates, catering to a wide range of light industrial applications where the exposure to harsh chemicals or other environmental issues aren’t as severe.

Top characteristics of plastic legend plates include:

1. More Versatility: Plastic plates are available in various materials, including acrylic, tamper-evident vinyl, and PVC. Each material offers specific advantages such as flexibility, impact resistance, or temperature tolerance, allowing for customization based on the application’s requirements.

2. Lightweight: Plastic plates are significantly lighter than metal plates, making them easier to handle and install. This characteristic is particularly useful when labeling portable or handheld devices.

3. Design Flexibility: Plastic plates offer greater design flexibility, allowing for more intricate graphics, logos, barcodes, or color schemes to be incorporated into them. This customization can enhance visual clarity and improve the overall aesthetic appeal.

4. Moisture Resistance: Acrylic legend plates exhibit excellent moisture resistance, protecting the labels from humidity, water splashes, and condensation. This resistance helps maintain the visibility and longevity of the legend plates.

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Considerations when ordering metal or plastic legend plates

While metal and plastic legend plates have their unique qualities, there are some common considerations to keep in mind for any industrial application:

1. Adhesive Backers: Both metal and plastic plates should have reliable adhesive backing to ensure secure attachment to equipment and control panels. The adhesive should withstand high temperatures, chemicals, and vibrations to maintain label integrity.

2. Legibility: The labels must be clear, easy to read, and resistant to fading. Using high-contrast colors and fonts, as well as employing techniques like laser engraving or thermo-enhanced screen printing, can improve visibility and durability.

3. Environmental Factors: Industrial environments often expose legend plates to extreme temperatures, moisture, vibrations, harsh chemicals, and potential impact. Choosing materials and designs that can withstand these factors is crucial for long-lasting performance.

Which is Right for Your Application?

In the realm of harsh industrial environments, both metal and plastic legend plates have their advantages and can withstand the challenges they face.

Metal plates offer exceptional durability, chemical resistance, and longevity, while plastic plates provide versatility, lightweight design, and customization options.

Choosing the right legend plate material depends on the specific requirements of your application and the environmental conditions in which they will be used.

See All Legend Plates & Options

Nap Tags Has the Answer!

We invite you to talk with your team of tag experts to discuss your specifications, and we can help you make the best choice.

Call or email us and we’ll be happy to share our knowledge and provide you with a price quote on the custom legend plates that best suit your application.

Custom Legend Plate Engraving: Tailoring Industrial Identification

Legend & ID Plates, Product News

Custom Legend Plate Engraving: Tailoring Industrial Identification to Perfection

Clear and accurate identification of equipment control panels is crucial for safety, efficiency, and compliance in many types of industrial environments.

Legend plates play a vital role in providing essential information, such as labels, instructions, or warnings to machine operators, technicians and anyone who uses complex industrial equipment on the job.

This article explores the versatility and customizability of legend plates, available in various types of metal and plastic materials, discussing their applications, suitability for various environments, and the ability to be customized to the exact specifications of the equipment, including custom-placed holes, text, numbering and even barcodes.

Custom Metal Legend Plates: Rugged and Durable

Metal legend plates are renowned for their durability and resistance to harsh environmental conditions.

Made from materials like stainless steel, brass, aluminum, and anodized aluminum, they offer superior endurance, making them ideal for heavy-duty industrial applications. Metal legend plates can withstand extreme temperatures, chemicals, moisture, and physical impacts, ensuring the longevity of the engraved information.

These plates are commonly used in industrial control panels, machinery, switchgears, and other equipment that require permanent and reliable labeling. The text, numbering, barcodes and symbols on metal legend plates are laser-engraved, providing high contrast and detail, legibility, and resistance to fading or smudging over time.

This makes them suitable for applications where clear identification is essential, such as emergency stop push buttons, toggle switches, motor controls, and process control panels.

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Choosing the right type of metal is crucial for the long-term durability of a legend plate.

Aluma-Tough is the most durable of marked metal legend plates. An image is printed on film and exposed in a dark room to a durable aluminum plate where it is developed, fixed, and rinsed. The graphic is then sealed to the plate with sapphire-hard, clear anodizing. This process creates a tag or plate that is resistant to chemicals, paint, abrasion and dirt for 20+ years. And, it can be repeatedly sterilized without losing clarity.

Stainless Steel can resist corrosion from moisture, chemicals, UV radiation, temperature and more, and is less prone to warping or breaking, while laser engraving gives it long-lasting clarity and readability. It is the top choice for legend plates used in food processing, pharmaceutical or other industries that demand strict hygiene.

Anodized Aluminum also provides protection against abrasion and physical stress, corrosion and more, with a protective oxide layer that prevents direct contact between metal and the surrounding environment. It also has a more aesthetically pleasing appearance with the various colors available, including black, gold, blue, red, white, and more.

Standard Aluminum is relatively cost effective compared to the other options, providing a lightweight legend plate that can withstand some corrosion and dissipate heat, while maintaining a smooth, shiny surface that’s easily readable with laser engraving.

Brass legend plates also provide cost effectiveness, as well as the strength to maintain its shape under heavy usage or impact and electrical conductivity. Plus, it has a classic aesthetic appeal with a golden appearance that adds a touch of bold refinement and noticeability.

Plastic Legend Plates: Versatile and Cost-Effective

Plastic legend plates offer versatility, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness without compromising quality.

They are available in thick acrylic and laser-cut to create customized shapes, sizes, hole placement and more. Plastic plates are lightweight and easier to install compared to their metal counterparts.

While plastic legend plates may not offer the same level of durability as metal, they are still well-suited for many light industrial applications, withstanding moderate environmental conditions, including temperature variations and some exposure to chemicals or moisture.

Plastic plates find extensive use in labeling control buttons, operator panels, and instrumentation panels.

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Customization Any Legend Plate to Exact Specifications

One of the significant advantages of legend plate engraving is the ability to customize them to exact specifications of your environment and application.

From the size and shape of the plate to the size and placement of holes, colored backgrounds, adhesive backers and more, the actual structure of the legend plate can be custom made. From simple push button plates to denote off/on, to elaborate switch plates with multiple openings and custom shapes, Nap’s can do it all!

Plus, each legend plate can be laser engraved with specific text labels, numbering, symbols, instructions, barcodes or any other identification requirements. Ultimately, legend plates can be tailored to suit your specific, individual needs.

In industrial settings, where standardized symbols and text are often required, legend plates can be engraved with universally recognized symbols like arrows, caution signs, power symbols, and alphanumeric codes. Additionally, plates can be engraved with multi-lingual instructions to accommodate diverse workforces or international requirements.

Get a Quote for Custom Legend Plates from Nap Tags!

Custom legend plate engraving provides industrial facilities with precise, durable, and versatile identification solutions. Whether metal or plastic, legend plates can be customized to exact specifications, ensuring clear communication and compliance with safety regulations.

Nap Tags works with you to understand your specifications and application and builds custom price quotes for each customer thoroughly and quickly.

We invite you to reach out to our team and see how we can help you.

Call our friendly experts at 1-800-451-3330 or use our online Request a Quote Form.