Need A Quote- RFQ - Aluminium rear panels

[ofreeborn]

Hi again,

I am now looking to have some rear panels priced up for my headphone amplifier enclosure. It will require silk screening or a suitable alternative.

Material: aluminium
Colour: black anodized
Silk screening: white. (If you cannot offer silk screening but want me to consider an alternative, I am all ears).
Thickness: 2mm

Quantities:
2 (for my prototype run)
10
25
50

When quoting, please provide a quote for using material I supply (which would be exactly the right size and have the screw holes pre-drilled) as well as using material which you have sourced.

I will give you postal details via PM/email so you can work out a postage estimate.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to post them here or PM me and I will endeavor to respond as quickly as possible.

Please find attached the rough sketch. Note that precise locations of certain elements (for example the 2 rectangle cut outs) are fairly arbitrary at the moment - such details will be refined once I am ready to place the order). I have also attached a rendered mock up of what I anticipate the rear panel to look like.

Thanks for looking.

Kind regards,
Oliver Freeborn

[Geof]

I do hope you find someone who can spell reference correctly.

[ofreeborn]

Oops! Well spotted, thanks

[Matt@RFR]

Front Panel Express:*Custom Front Panels with free Front Panel Designer is set up to do exactly what you need, and I've always heard good things about them.

[ofreeborn]

I have already looked at FPE but found their prices to be really quite high. I wanted to see whether the people here could compete. For instance, my front panel comes in at a vastly lower price than I would have to pay to FPE.

[Donkey Hotey]

Your problem is going to be with things like low-quantity anodizing. Unless you get somebody who already has regular batches going to the anodizer, you're looking at $100-200 minimum per order (as in: your first two 'prototypes' may cost $100 each just for anodizing).

The same is true for silk screening. Once the screen is setup and it's got ink in it, it's easy to keep going. It's expensive to clean it out and put away, waiting for the next batch of five.

Low production numbers will kill you (unless you're prepared to keep paying $50 each for batches of five). If you think this is going to be a regular product, just sink the cash, get 100 of them made and put them on the shelf. You have to invest in yourself. There is no 'safe' way to run a business. If you run it like it might not succed, it won't succeed.

[ofreeborn]

Thanks for your comments; they provide an interesting insight. I do have another alternative solution for my enclosure which may be more suited to my low volume requirements.

[Donkey Hotey]

I hadn't noticed that you are in the UK. You probably have similar businesses there or I'd give you some names. There are many companies that specialize in this kind of stuff. You might also be surprised at the things you could incorporate into your design after seeing what they do.

As it turns out, many of the companies that make nameplates also make printed membrane switches, rubber dome switches and all the other goodies you see on finished products. Entire companies rotate around making these type of bits for end-item products.

Do some Googling for "membrane switches" or "printed nameplates electronics." That should lead you to companies that can do an inexpensive run of 50-100 parts exactly like you're looking for. It may also open up new possibilities you hadn't considered.

Labels & Marking - Nameplates - Engraving - Fine Cut
nameplates - membrane keypads - graphic overlays - screen printed labels
Aluminium Nameplates from Exilco Ltd | Professional UK Sign & Label Printing. Kidderminster, West Midlands, UK

[ofreeborn]

That is a great help, actually. I have had a little look at some of those links you have posted and have already seen a couple of things which take my interest.

May as well consider this RFQ closed on the grounds of these suggested alternatives which are more suited to my needs.

Thanks for your advice and time.