Products & Services
Protocase manufactures fully finished custom electronic enclosures and associated parts from a wide variety of materials and components, in 2-3 days with no minimum order. Protocase also provides expert and affordable enclosure design services.
Machined Engraving
Protocase offers machined engraving on machined parts in 2-3 days, with no minimum order. Also known as machined etching, this process offers permanent marking on your enclosure, panel or part, which is ideal for labeling, branding or schematics.
Machined engraving can be done on aluminum, stainless steel and cold rolled steel.
Machined Engraving Examples:
Constraints:
The maximum size of machined parts we are able to engrave in a single setup is 26" x 16" (660.40mm x 406.40mm).
Engraving Depth:
The depth of Protocase's machined engraving is standard, set at 0.010" (0.25mm).
Our standard machined engraving depth can vary depending on the material used, as well as any secondary finish applied post engraving. For example, stainless steel and cold-rolled steel's stiffness will produce a shallower depth compared to aluminum, which is a more lightweight material.
Font Capabilities:
Maximum font size is only limited to the size constraints of our milling machine (see above). For ideal legibility, we recommend using a font with a size no lower than 10pt.
Finishes:
We offer machined engraving on a variety of finishes:
Aluminum:
- Smooth Polyester Powdercoat: Both pre- and post-painting (flat parts recommended)
- Grained Finish: Post-brushing
- No Finish:
- Anodizing*: Both pre- and post-anodizing (Note: machined engraving after anodizing will mean it is no longer corrosion resistant)
Stainless Steel and Cold-rolled Steel
- Smooth Polyester Powdercoat: Post-painting (flat parts recommended)
- Grained Finish: Post-brushing
- No Finish:
*Anodizing is an electrochemical process that converts the metal surface (aluminum, typically) into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish. Although anodizing is a finish we offer, it is performed externally. As a result, our standard lead time does not apply - turnaround times are typically 1-2 weeks.
Please contact our sales team for more information.
MIL-STD-130 (Table II)
Machined Engraving is a permanent part marking method which is recommended for applications requiring MIL-STD-130 (Table II).
This standard provides criteria for the selection of the application process, as well as all other specific requirements that will be part of the deliverable item, such as marking protocol, content, font size, type, location, etc.
Simply stating in the product definition data that the marking be in accordance with MIL-STD-130 is not sufficient. The item identification marking requirements must be determined by the Design and/or Acquiring Activity in their contractual instruments, and tailored to meet the needs of their specific application.
Protocase is recognized solely and exclusively as the Manufacturer.
The customer is recognized as the Design Activity. They retain full design and quality assurance control, as well as full responsibility to the acquiring activity for the delivered product.
