Front panels produced to order

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jul 4, 2002

To complement its custom enclosure offerings, Elma UK has launched a front-panel customisation service incorporating both straightforward and complex user interfaces.

To complement its custom enclosure offerings, Elma UK has launched a front-panel customisation service incorporating both straightforward and complex user interfaces.

Elma's recently expanded UK facility provides the fast response often required for prototype quantities, backed by the resources of offshore capacity for higher volume production requirements.

The flexible service is able to respond to a wide range of needs, whether simple screen-printed panels, an individual control panel assembled and wired with switches, indicators and connectors, or a even a stand-alone custom moulded user interface subsystem with VDU.

The service has been established in response to requests from OEMs who are concentrating on their core system-level expertise, and who are increasingly seeking reliable suppliers able to provide non-commodity solutions to tight project timescales.

As well as Elma's own range of rotary controls and switches, the new service is able to offer custom printed membranes and rubber keypads, backed by a full engineering and manufacturing team in Fareham, Hampshire.

"Quality is critical with user interfaces", says Dave Mellor, MD of Elma UK, "but electromechanical design skills are often in short supply in systems houses.

We fill that gap".

Elma's experience with enclosure design not only enables it to provide a total packaging solution, but also enables it to optimise the panel design for appearance, functionality and manufacturability, as well as handling issues such as EMC.

In addition to metalwork, printing, anodising and other specialist finishing, the service includes a complete assembly and wiring capability, enabling Elma to deliver complete and tested subassemblies.

Elma is now able to provide a one-stop source of both standard components and custom design services for enclosure subsystems.