UV-printed graphic overlays, membrane switch overlays, HMI faceplates, control-panel bezels and industrial nameplates on film, plastic and metal. Reverse-printed polycarbonate and polyester overlays, direct print on black ABS and anodized aluminum, backlit and deadfront constructions, spot gloss, foil accents and serialized variable data, built in-house in Freeland, Michigan, on medical-grade, UL-recognized, washdown-rated and flame-rated materials when the application calls for them.
What we print
- Graphic overlays and membrane switch overlays on 10 mil polycarbonate film or 5 to 7 mil polyester, reverse printed so the artwork sits behind the operator surface. Clear display and LED windows are left unprinted. Embossed keys, selective textures and adhesive backing for membrane switch and keypad assemblies.
- HMI faceplates, bezels and operator panels on clear rigid polycarbonate, printed on the back side with the display or touchscreen window left clear so the graphics are protected by the polycarbonate face.
- Direct-to-plastic control panels on black ABS: white underbase first, then full color, so red, yellow, green and white legends stay vivid on dark plastic.
- Metal control panels and industrial nameplates on black anodized aluminum, front printed with selective white underbase where bright color or white legends are needed. Equipment nameplates, rating plates, serial plates and model plates.
- Backlit, deadfront and specialty effects: selective white behind lit legends, colored backlit status icons, deadfront panels that go dark when unlit, and selective front-side spot gloss on logos, button rings and display bezels.
- Variable data and serialization: serial numbers, lot codes, QR codes and Data Matrix on rigid panels and labels, different on every part.
- Foil-accented nameplates: silver or gold foil on logo, model and trim, with normal UV print everywhere else.
- Safety labels, warning labels and rating plates on UL-recognized label materials, printed to your artwork and drawing.
Materials for regulated and harsh environments
Capability starts with the material. We stock and source industry-standard overlay and label films and sheet so the right construction is available for the job:
- UL-recognized materials: UL 969-recognized label and overlay films and adhesives for permanent safety labels, warning labels, rating plates and nameplates on UL-listed equipment, and membrane switch films used in UL-recognized switch constructions. Tell us the end-product file requirements and we build to the recognized material and adhesive combination.
- Medical-grade materials: medical-grade polycarbonate and polyester overlay films, hardcoated and antimicrobial-treated grades, and films with ISO 10993 biocompatibility data from the film manufacturer, for medical device overlays, diagnostic and laboratory instrument keypads and patient-area equipment panels supplied to the device OEM's specification.
- Washable, washdown and chemical-resistant materials: hardcoated polyester and velvet-textured polycarbonate rated by the film maker for IPA, cleaners, disinfectants, oils and repeated washdown, for food-processing, sanitation, pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment.
- Flame-rated materials: UL 94 V-0 and VTM-rated polycarbonate and polyester films, and flame-rated ABS and polycarbonate sheet, for appliance, electrical and electronics enclosures.
- Outdoor and UV-stable materials: UV-stabilized films and anodized aluminum for vehicle, agricultural, marine and outdoor equipment panels.
- Industrial adhesives and spacers: high-bond transfer adhesives and membrane switch spacer stock for lamination to metal, powder coat and engineering plastics.
Material and adhesive ratings are the film manufacturer's published data. We carry those ratings through on your job record and build to the construction your specification calls for.
Constructions we build
| Construction | Substrate | How it is printed | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse / second-surface overlay | Clear polycarbonate or polyester film | Mirrored CMYK on the back, opaque white behind it, windows left clear | Graphic overlays for controllers, pumps, test equipment |
| Selective-white backlit | Clear PC or PET film | Reverse graphics with full white in opaque zones, reduced or no white behind lit legends | Sanitation, food-processing and washdown controllers, lab equipment |
| Colored backlit status | PC film or rigid clear PC | Reverse color icons with tuned transmission behind each zone | Hydraulics, process equipment, robotics, industrial electronics |
| Deadfront HMI | Smoked rigid PC or dark second-surface build | Dark face with translucent symbols that appear only when lit | Robotic cells, premium automation, automotive-style interfaces |
| Flexible keypad overlay | 5 to 7 mil polyester, medical-grade or hardcoated | Reverse CMYK plus flexible white | Medical and lab instrument keypads, portable equipment |
| Direct print on dark plastic | Black ABS sheet, flame-rated grades available | Front print, white underbase then CMYK | Hydraulic power units, machine control faces, electronics enclosures |
| Rigid clear HMI bezel | 1/16 to 1/8 in clear polycarbonate | Back-side reverse print plus white, display area left clear | Packaging, machine vision, robotics, test equipment |
| Full-color metal panel | 0.040 in black anodized aluminum | Front print with selective white underbase | Capital equipment, instrumentation, safety and rating plates |
| Spot-gloss premium overlay | Matte PC film or rigid PC | Reverse graphics plus selective front-side gloss | Branded machinery, premium instrumentation |
| Foil-accented nameplate | Rigid black substrate or clear PC | Heat-transfer silver or gold foil on branding, UV print elsewhere | Model plates, showroom and corporate-brand panels |
| UL-recognized safety label | UL 969-recognized film and adhesive | Front or reverse print to the recognized material system | Warning labels, rating plates and nameplates on listed equipment |
Where these go
- Industrial automation and machinery: control overlays, HMI bezels, status panels, equipment nameplates, variable-data panels.
- Packaging, food-processing and sanitation equipment: washdown controller overlays, line-status panels, machine HMI surrounds on chemical-resistant film.
- Hydraulic and pneumatic equipment: pump control overlays, pressure and flow panels, service interfaces.
- Robotics and assembly cells: operator panels, deadfront status panels, safety-controller graphics.
- Industrial electronics and instrumentation: keypad overlays, small equipment faceplates, instrument bezels, premium nameplates.
- Medical devices and laboratory equipment: medical-grade membrane switch overlays, display bezels, diagnostic and lab instrument keypads, supplied as a printed component to the OEM's drawing with lot traceability.
- Appliance, commercial and electrical equipment: membrane switch overlays, control fascia, status windows and UL-recognized safety labels and rating plates.
- Automotive, transportation, agricultural and outdoor equipment: interior switch graphics, interface overlays, service and vehicle equipment panels on UV-stable material.
Replacement and reproduction panels
Faded, cracked or discontinued faceplates on machine controls, test equipment, vehicles, radios, gauges and consoles. Send the old panel or a photo and we quote a reproduction or a corrected version. Prototype and low-volume housings are 3D printed with heat-set inserts and decorated in the same shop, so the part arrives finished instead of passing between three vendors.
How a job is controlled
Each print family, film overlay, flexible polyester, black ABS, clear rigid polycarbonate, anodized aluminum, backlit and spot gloss, runs on its own settings and inspection criteria. The job record carries the artwork revision, substrate and thickness with the manufacturer's material rating, ink mode and white strategy, print side, fixture and dimensional check, adhesive where laminated, visual acceptance and a retained sample for first articles. Adhesion, flex and backlight-uniformity checks are done on first articles of new constructions as a shop check, not a qualification. Formal third-party testing, when the program requires it, is done against your specification through your qualification process.
Materials, ratings and who certifies what
Colky Manufacturing sources and prints on UL-recognized, medical-grade, flame-rated and washdown-rated films and sheet, and builds to the construction your product file or specification calls for. We do not test or certify to a standard ourselves. Certification of the finished machine, device or control panel sits with the equipment manufacturer; our part is the recognized material, the controlled process and the documentation that goes with it: material and adhesive identification, lot traceability, first-article samples, change notification and retained samples. If a printed part is itself a required safety marking, a recognized membrane switch construction, or carries a certification mark, tell us before quoting so the material system and artwork are matched to the program from the start.
Before we quote, we ask
- Is the graphic operator information, or a required safety or rating marking?
- Is the finished equipment UL listed or recognized, and does its file specify a recognized label or switch construction?
- Required substrate, adhesive, flame rating or material?
- Exposure to cleaners, disinfectants, oils, sunlight, heat, humidity, abrasion or washdown?
- Any direct or indirect patient or user contact that calls for biocompatibility-rated material?
- Lot traceability, first-article, inspection, change-notification or retained-sample requirements?
- Supplier quality requirements, and who is authorized to reproduce any marks in the artwork?
Start a project: a drawing, the old panel, a photo or a sketch with the window and button layout is enough to begin.