Looking for durable substrate, must be orange.

[Sotos Patistas]

Hello to all near and far,

I'm trying to locate a source for a laserable (raster engraving and vector cutting) material that is more robust than the standard Rowmark/IPI offerings (LaserMAx, etc). I have an aerospace mfg. client for whom I engrave and cut electronics panel overlays (approx 5" x 7") and they have told me that the overlays are cracking at the screw mounting holes and that they would like something more durable. As this device is installed in some sort of test aircraft, there is a regulation that dictates the color be orange.

I am planning on taking them a sample of a reverse engraved orange plastic overlay to see if it is any more durable, but I'm not optimistic. One suggestion of theirs was to cut a duplicate overlay from aluminum sheet to use as a backing. I think I can manage this on my CNC router, but this seems like a labor intensive solution.

Does anyone have any suggestions of where I might find a solution?

Thanks in advance to all for your thought and suggestions.

Sotos in VA (USA)

[Scott Shepherd]

Alumamark just came out with colors and orange is one of them. You could cut it on the router and then engrave it :

http://www.horizonsisg.com/alumamark.html

Look for the orange at the bottom of the page.

[Ross Moshinsky]

Cracking at the screws sounds like an expansion issue. I'd drill larger holes and run a test. If rattling is an issue, some sort of expansion fitting should fix that.

[Sotos Patistas]

Hey that's awesome. I've done some items with gold Alumamark for them before and they were quite pleased.

Thanks Scott (Steve)!

[Mike Null]

I like your idea of reverse engraving a cast acrylic. The cracks are most likely from over tightening the screws.

[Sotos Patistas]

Cracking at the screws sounds like an expansion issue. I'd drill larger holes and run a test. If rattling is an issue, some sort of expansion fitting should fix that.

I'm meeting with them tomorrow to have a look. Hmmm, could be expansion I suppose, I'll inquire about temperature range, it may be extreme. I think rattling isn't the issue so much as vibration. The device is installed into an aircraft in which control surface flutter is intentionally induced. I'm thinking giant paint shaker vibration.

I'm anxious to see how they're mounting the overlays. Like much of what I produce, it goes out the door, and I never get to see how it's put to use.

[Sotos Patistas]

Alumamark just came out with colors and orange is one of them. You could cut it on the router and then engrave it :

http://www.horizonsisg.com/alumamark.html

Look for the orange at the bottom of the page.

Well, talk about great service. I filled out the online form on Horizons website yesterday asking for a sample of the orange AlumaMark, and about 1/2 hr ago, I get a phone call from Don, one of their reps, saying he was on the interstate traveling from Norfolk to DC and could he stop by with a sample. I explained that I was just a small home based shop in case he felt it wasn't worth his effort, but he was only too happy to pay me a visit. He arrived about 15 minutes after his phone call and left me samples of all their new colors to try out. Steve, thanks again for pointing me to their site, you don't find service like that very often these days.

Sotos