Are there any companies that make a custom adhesive overlay?

3 Mar 2015

I have an old intra-oral camera box that I'm looking to convert into a bench power supply. It has a front panel PCB with some buttons and LEDs that I may re-use. The metal has cut outs for the buttons and then it has a plastic overlay that I'm not fond of. I've thought about getting some 3M carbon fiber film Carbon Fiber Film | Dedicated To Selling 3M Carbon Fiber DI-NOC Vinyl and just covering it and then relabeling it. I was just looking to see if there was a company that was kind of like a custom PCB company that would make / print custom adhesive overlays.

Here is the present front panel and button/LED PCB:

This just looks like an excellent candidate for a bench power supply build:

Top Comments

Parents

gadget.iom over 11 years ago

I've been in discussion with a company called Fine Cut here in the UK regarding a custom membrane with integral switches.
Perhaps not the most local company, but they are certainly available.

Just be aware that one-offs can work out rather expensive with most suppliers.
- Cancel
- Vote Up +1 Vote Down
- Sign in to reply
- More
- Cancel
michaelkellett over 11 years ago in reply to gadget.iom

In the past I've printed in colour on paper, laminated and then trimmed with scissors and scalpel. If you wanted to go further you could possibly use overhead projection blanks and print on them. It won't look as good as the real thing but when I last looked at rapid prototyped membranes they were expensive for home use.

Here's some links to a cheapo home stuff process:
How to make sexy instrument panels
How To Make Nice Looking DIY Front Panel » Jumper One
AP Digital light: DIY low budget front panel labels

If you want to spend more these people do complete panels with an on line quoter - I think they have a US arm as well..

Frontpanel, Frontpanels, Frontpanelexpress - Schroff Ltd.

MK
- Cancel
- Vote Up +2 Vote Down
- Sign in to reply
- More
- Cancel
4ringfan over 11 years ago in reply to michaelkellett

michaelkellett,

I think your suggestion of just printing color to a full sheet of Avery label material, and then covering it with a clear film, may just be cost effective method that I'm looking for. The clear top could either again be a clear Avery label sheet, or I could possibly use some clear 3M car wrap film on top of the label too. The buttons I had on this board were designed to be beneath the film, so I'm not sure how well they would hold up to repeated actuations, but hey, I'm willing to try anything once.

I'm going to have to try that graphical layout software too and put my very lacking artistic skills to work.
- Cancel
- Vote Up +1 Vote Down
- Sign in to reply
- More
- Cancel

Comment

4ringfan over 11 years ago in reply to michaelkellett

michaelkellett,

I think your suggestion of just printing color to a full sheet of Avery label material, and then covering it with a clear film, may just be cost effective method that I'm looking for. The clear top could either again be a clear Avery label sheet, or I could possibly use some clear 3M car wrap film on top of the label too. The buttons I had on this board were designed to be beneath the film, so I'm not sure how well they would hold up to repeated actuations, but hey, I'm willing to try anything once.

I'm going to have to try that graphical layout software too and put my very lacking artistic skills to work.
- Cancel
- Vote Up +1 Vote Down
- Sign in to reply
- More
- Cancel

Children

No Data