Surfaces on Aluminum Blog

Designing Luminous Aluminum Surfaces

The luminescence of this finish caught my attention when it was first developed and it continues to catch my eye in the many variations completed since its early inception.  A variation of this finish was first conceptualized for automotive trim.  The name given to it was Controverse.  If you look up the definition of controverse, you see that as a verb it means to dispute or oppose.  This definition perfectly defines the play of processes involved in creating this beautiful metal surface.

Controverse embraces both mechanical finishes and traditional printing methods to capture motion and distort perspectives creating new dimensions.  Engine striped aluminum and printed texture recreate spirograph like patterns.  This short video highlights several color variations of this finish.

As one of my favorite finishes, the surface is interactive.  The surface has a glow about it.  Variations of the finish have explored increasing both the width of the engine stripe and the texture for wider trim pieces.  Other renditions alter the contrast between the two processes emphasizing the moiré created between the interaction of the mechanical finish and the printed texture.

How would you integrate this finish or your unique interpretation of it into aluminum trim?  What type of product would you use it on?

Request samples of these finishes to see how the mechanical finish and printed texture enhance illusion creating a fresh metal surface.

This article is another in the series of posts featuring notes from my co-workers on their favorite finish.  Our guest blogger is Randy Schultz.  Randy works with the development of our finishes each day.  The finish he chose is one of our new mechanical finishes developed for our latest trend presentation.  Here is what Randy has to say about the finish.

Guest Blogger

		Randy Schultz Design Process Engineer Randy works in the Northern Engraving Design Center.  He is responsible for processing of samples and prototypes.
One of my favorite finishes is NEC-105.  It is a mechanical finish developed in our Design department.  When designing new finishes, we try to develop surfaces that are unique and out of the norm.  Our objective with this finish was to get away from our typical mechanical finishes (i.e. engine stripe, engine turn and spins) and develop finishes that use the same type of equipment but provide a distinctive look.  This finish fits that category.  It is comparable to an engine stripe but it is very different. This finish has a deeper courser cut in the aluminum.  The accent lines are further apart.  Additionally, this pattern is more defined than traditional engine stripe.  In a standard engine stripe you can see the lead edge of the stripe however on NEC-105 you also see the trailing edge of the stripe.  This gives the pattern a tremendous amount of movement.  The detail in this finish is extraordinary.  If you could imagine a watchmaker or jeweler sitting at their bench engraving the face of a pocket watch, NEC-105 is the finish they would be hand crafting.

Brushed Aluminum

A brushed aluminum surface is a popular option for aluminum trim and nameplates because it is an authentic metal surface.  The brushing process is a mechanical process which abrades the surface of the metal.  When combined with a resist or mask, brushing can be applied selectively to the surface of the metal. 

This article, the second in a four part series on designing a custom finish, focuses on your options in adding brushing to aluminum finishes.

Brushed Aluminum

Selective Brushing

A selective brush takes on the character of the printed resist.  The resist can be used to create an endless variety of structures ranging from technical to organic.  The resulting combination of brushed and bright aluminum catches light and reflections creating movement in the surface of the metal.

Selective Brushing on Aluminum

Carbon Fiber, Patina and Organic Structures Brushed on Aluminum

Graphic Image Brushed on Aluminum

Multiple Direction Brush

Spin, Engine Stripe, Engine Turn

Other mechanical finishes available to be incorporated into finishes are spins, engine stripe and engine turn.

Mechanical finishes are the first step in building a decorative finish on aluminum.  They can be layered with printed color and texture to create precise geometric structures or aged patinaed surfaces.  The abraded surfaces are one of the tools available to you in designing a custom finish on aluminum.

For further information on your options in decorating aluminum read the following articles:

How to Design a Custom Finish - 3 Building Blocks of Aluminum Decoration
How to Add Color to an Aluminum Finish - Options in Printing on Metal
How to Add a Tactile Dimension to Aluminum Finishes - Choices in Textures

Request a disc collection, a sampling of aluminum finishes, to begin exploring the depth and movement that brushing brings to aluminum surfaces.

Large Scale Ornamental Graphic

This aluminum trim piece features a large scale ornamental graphic flowing across the edge of the part.  The bold graphic is applied using selective brushing.  The background is brushed horizontally.  The next step is to print a resist to protect the background.  A second brush is applied diagonally.  The resist is removed and the entire finish is coated with a transparent red tint of color.  The result is a subtle effect using the large scale bold graphic.  It has movement and depth.  The design element can be made more obvious or more subtle by altering the process.  The process allows for alignment of graphic elements across mating parts.  The design can be created to flow across trim in a vehicle or on a product.

This concept features an ornamental design but the idea works just as well with the popular tattoo and tribal images seen in fashion and print.  Integrating the image into the metal with the brush process creates a graphic with natural highights and reflections.  The image has the appearance of being two unique colors.

What types of images would you like to see treated in this process?  What type of products would you put this type of trim on?  Laptops?  Cell phones? Automotive interiors?

Request a sample to see the subtle movement created by the two direction brush in this finish.

Large Format Decorative Metal

Providing unique metal surfaces for the architectural industry and design community is the focus of Gage architectural products.  Gage continuously works with Northern Engraving developing innovative ceiling and wall finishes on aluminum and steel.

Engine Striped Metal

The latest collaboration utilized Northern Engraving's large format metal decoration to introduce a new series of architectural metal designs for walls, elevators and column covers.  The aluminum and stainless steel finishes build on the popular engine stripe finish.

The inspiration for this series of metal surfaces is the wide interest in linear finishes.  The linear structures are layered on the mechanical finish with a traditional screen printing process.  The result is a unique look in large format decorative metal.  The example shown here uses a traditional pinstripe combined with the linear engine stripe finish.  The finish has depth and movement.  The contrast of high gloss and low gloss surfaces within the finish adds further detail.

The idea takes on a little bit more of an organic look when the width and spacing of the lines is varied.  The vertical engine stripe complements the random linear finish.

Options in Large Format Metal Decoration

Ability to change the printed color changes the overall look of the finish.  Popular bronze and copper metal finishes are created using these processes.  This copper finish has gained interest among customers even before the official introduction of the series.

A mixed metal look can be achieved when the natural color of aluminum or steel is combined with a printed champagne gold, copper or bronze.

This series of linear finishes illustrates a small portion of the possibilities available to you on large format decorative aluminum and steel.  What other finishes would you like to see on large format metal?  How would you use the metal surfaces?  What applications do you see for this material beyond architectural products?  Appliance?  Tell us what you think.

I've asked my fellow co-workers to write a short note on their favorite finish.  Yes, we actually have favorites.  What one person loves another hates.  It's fun to look at the aluminum finishes through the eyes of another.  Each of us bring our technical background to the table.  We each look at aspects of a finish that others don't consider.  This is where the discussion begins about the possibilities.  So, here is our first guest blogger article.

Guest Blogger

		Kevin Rink Process Chemist Kevin works in the Northern Engraving Central Lab.  He is responsible for research and development of new inks and coatings.
One of my favorite finishes is NEC-108-A.  This mechanical finish employs irregular interweavings of semi circles which adds a dimension of depth via a 3-D effect.  This finish seems chaotic, yet imparts a sense of luxury with the smooth satin finish.  It allows one to stand out and be different from the rest.  Although the finish seems busy, you get the sense that it is very versatile and could find its way in automotive, nameplate, and appliance applications.  The striking mechanical finish makes you take notice and move in for a closer look.  Once you do this, you take note of the intricacies and depth of this finish.  It is what you want it to be.

What are your thoughts on this organic mechanical finish on aluminum?  Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Organic Engine Stripe

Engine stripe with a twist or should I say rethought?  What if engine stripe wasn't so polished?  What if it wasn't so precise?  Could it be more random?  Could we create more of a handcrafted look? These were some of the questions that set us off on a path exploring the possibilities available to us when we break down the traditional boundaries of the engine striping process.

This engine stripe is softer and slightly random.  It is only one of the possibilities which opened up to us during our exploration of the engine stripe process.  Both engineered and random engine stripe themes were explored.  Mood boards featuring aluminum finishes based on these themes were created to begin telling the story about what happens when you take a traditional metal process and add a twist.

How would you stir things up on metal?

Selectively Brushed Aluminum Finishes

This article is the fourth in a series of articles covering options in creating aluminum surfaces which use mechanical finishes to create movement and visual depth.  This series of finishes rely on selectively brushing the metal.  The overall look of the finish is dependent on the pattern applied to the metal during the resist process.  Simple or detailed geometric finishes are a natural fit for selective brushing with technical and precise results.  Organic structures result in finishes with entirely different appearances.   Irregular edges and shapes are enhanced by the natural character of brushed and bright aluminum. 

Customized Aluminum Finishes

All finishes shown here can be customized in scale and color for your trim or nameplate project.  Additional detail is added with selective gloss and printed texture.  The printed resist and mechanical brush processes are often the base building blocks when decorating aluminum whether a pattern or a graphic.

Request samples of selectively brushed finishes to begin exploring the visual depth and movement available to you with these processes.

Engine Turn Detail

This article is the third in a series of articles on using printed resists or masks to create aluminum finishes with depth and movement.  The first article focused on the resist process while the second article introduced a two direction brush.  This article focuses on using the resist with an engine turn process. 

Engine Turn

Engine turn is a series of small overlapping spins tightly spaced.  The finish itself is quite beautiful and flashy.  It was popular on vintage airplanes and race cars and used on automotive dash panels in the 1950's.  There has been a renewed interest in the engine turn finish in recent years as a retro look.

Selective Engine Turn in Aluminum Patterns

Applying engine turn selectively creates an entirely different effect.  The overall spin effect disappears.  Small areas of engine turn create an almost holographic look.  The circular image is no longer visible.  The finish dances with movement.  The result will be entirely different depending on what pattern you screen print as a resist.  Dots, pinstripes and organic shapes take on sometimes unexpected results when engine stripe is added to the finish.

Nameplates use selective engine turn to make graphics pop.  The same holographic effect created in patterns is translated into graphics and borders on nameplates.

Do you have any ideas for using engine turn in a finish to create visual depth and movement?  How would you integrate this finish into trim or a nameplate?

Request samples of finishes with selective engine turn to see the depth this process brings to aluminum finishes.

Aluminum Finishes with Movement

This article further explores the use of printed resist in aluminum finish development.  The printed resist process is used as a mask to protect areas of metal during the brushing process. I will expand on the previous article explaining the resist process and will focus on aluminum finishes featuring two brush directions.

Two Direction Brush on Aluminum

The use of an additional resist allows you to add a second brushed detail to your finish.  Registration between operations is tightly controlled during the screen printing process.  The basic process is listed here:

1. bright aluminum - a polished surface from the mill
2. resist - a screen printed mask for protection
3. brush - mechanically abrade the surface of the metal (horizontal)
4. wash - remove the resist or mask
5. resist - a screen printed mask for protection
6. brush - mechanically abrade the surface of the metal (vertical)
7. wash - remove the resist or mask
8. color - print overall or selective color

The finishes shown here rely on a horizontal and vertical brush.  The angle of the brush can be adjusted creating the desired effect.  The brushing process is the first step in building aluminum finishes.  You add layers of color and texture to create further detail and depth.  The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.  Change the overall gloss of the finish and you change the look and feel of the surface.

What ideas do you have for incorporating movement into your aluminum trim or nameplate with multiple brush directions?  Would you use brushing to add depth to a carbon fiber finish?  Or would you use it to create a patinaed metal look?

Request samples of these finishes to see the detail in the brushed and bright aluminum.