Stainless steel and brass, from small identification tags to detailed control panels. Etching holds fine lines and small lettering on metal, and we do it on our own acid etch machines in Aberdeen.
- Stainless steel and brass
- Small ID tags to control panels
- Etched in our own workshop
What we etch
Metal identification that has to stay readable. Pick one to see a picture.
How etching works
Scroll to take a panel apart, layer by layer.
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Artwork
We draw your panel to size, with every word, symbol and line, and print it onto film. The film is the stencil.
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Resist
The clean stainless sheet is coated with a light-sensitive resist, which protects the metal.
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Exposure
Light shines through the film onto the resist. Developed, the artwork washes out and leaves the design as bare metal.
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Etch
The etching solution eats into the bare metal and leaves the design as a shallow recess. The resist keeps the rest untouched.
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Paint fill
The recess is filled with paint: black for the lettering, and colours for lines, valves and warnings.
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Finished
The resist comes off, and the panel is cleaned and finished, ready to fit.
Questions people ask us
Not here? Call us, or add your question when you ask for a quote.
The metal is coated with a resist, and your artwork is printed onto it. Where the resist is cleared, the etching solution eats into the metal and leaves the design as a shallow recess. The recess is then usually filled with paint, and the plate is cleaned and finished.
Stainless steel and brass. Stainless is the usual choice for plant, process and outdoor equipment. Brass suits plaques, door plates and anything that should look warm and traditional.
Etching suits fine detail, small lettering, logos and plates with a lot of text, because the whole design is etched at once. Engraving cuts each line with a cutter and gives a deeper groove. We do both in-house, so tell us what the plate is for and we'll suggest one.
Yes. We fill the etched recess with paint so the wording and symbols stand out. Black is the usual choice, and colours such as red, blue and green pick out warnings, valves and lines on a diagram.
A drawing or a list of the wording, the size of each plate and how many you need. Send your logo and any diagrams as files if you have them. If all you have is a sketch or an old plate, send a photo and we'll talk it through.
Both. Tell us how many and whether each one carries a different number or name, and we'll price the set.
Metal work from our files
Etched plaques, plates and panels in stainless steel and brass, with some of our engraved panels. Hover, tap or tab through them.
Send us your drawing
A panel layout, a list of tags or a logo for a plaque. Tell us the metal, the sizes and how many, and we'll come back with a price.
Talk it through at the workshop
Unit 14 City South Business ParkBankhead Drive, Portlethen
Aberdeen AB12 4XX
Easy to reach from the AWPR.
Get directionsMore from the workshop
Most jobs use more than one of our services. These often go together.
