The Importance of Designing the Industrial Control Panel Overlay

Original equipment manufacturers from all industries, including medical device manufacturing, heavy equipment, appliances and transportation, rely on the quality of their equipment’s graphic overlays to effectively communicate instructions, control markings and branding. It is also imperative that control panel overlays are robust and withstand heavy use as well as harsh environments. Failure of a graphic panel to maintain its integrity compromises the equipment’s usefulness.

Purpose of Control Panel Overlay:

  • Branding: The overlay establishes your company’s brand identity by using logos, textures, and color schemes
  • Instructions: Overlays often communicate important operating and safety instructions for equipment
  • Equipment Control: The overlay is comprised of keypads, buttons, lights, and dials that operate the equipment.

When designing a graphic overlay, it is important to consider these factors:

  • Will the overlay be used indoors or outdoors?
  • Will the overlay be exposed to harsh chemicals?
  • What temperature will the overlay be exposed to?
  • the overlay be exposed to moisture?
  • much use will the overlay see?
  • the overly fit into a recessed area or have any critical dimensions and/or tolerances?
  • there important safety instructions that need to stand out?

The environment your product is used in will determine the type of material, adhesive, ink, and coating that will be used to create your overlay. To make sure you are creating the most durable interface for your equipment, be sure to partner with an overlay manufacturer who is committed to quality and precision.