Reasons Why You Want Your Panels Made of Aluminium
June 26, 2015
When creating the cover of any piece of equipment you need strength and durability. For the most part those two factors are the most important. But for electronic equipment, you need more. The material of the control panel has to not be corrosive, has to be heat resistant, and look good. A material that has all of those qualities is anodized aluminium.
Why Anodize the Aluminium?
Anodizing is the name of the processes used on metals to treat them so that they may be used for many different purposes that they would otherwise not be able to be used for. When anodizing is used on aluminium, it forms a oxidized coating adhered to the metal. This coating is hard, strengthens the metal, relatively inert, electrically insulating and can absorb dyes.
Benefits of Using Anodized Aluminium
The aluminium fascia control panels that have been anodized have greater durability. The process of anodizing aluminium actually strengthens the metal. It makes its lifespan into the life of the product itself – probably longer.
The color of the item will not fade, clip, or become discolored because of heat. The anodized coatings create an amazing color stability. The scratch resistance will also keep the colour from coming off the panel.
The maintenance on aluminium fascia control panels that have been anodized is minimal. The surface reduces any scratching and can be cleaned with a simple mild soap and water solution.
Anodizing allows you to make the aluminium look any way you want it too. This is important for companies that are looking to make their aluminium panel look awesome for their CB radios or other fun equipment. It is also true for professional companies that use anodized aluminium panels to convey warnings or instructions on the aluminium panel itself. The anodizing can be coloured, stamped, printed on and etched. There are many different choices.
The anodized aluminium on the control panels has a longer shelf and in use life, therefore it is very cost effective to choose this type of panel.
The most common colour for the panel is silver, but the aluminium fascia panels are often in many different colourings.
Anodizing creates an abrasion resistant surface, keeping your item scratch and nick free. This aspect to anodized aluminium is one of the very reasons hospitals like to use it for their IV poles and pump holders.
The resulting coating from anodizing aluminium creates a product that is resistant to the normal wear and tear that other competing products might be susceptible to. For example, think about a meter that is used to check air flow or electrical current. The entire thing could be made of plastic, which after years of use will look dirty, be cracked and may not be safe to use any longer. But if it were made of anodized aluminium, the colour wouldn’t fade, it wouldn’t crack and it would work and look good for several more years that the plastic meter.
