Surfaces on Aluminum

Engine Turned Dash

Engine turning is a mechanical finish in which very precise spins are applied in overlapping rows on aluminum.  The finish was popular on vintage race cars and airplanes.  Engine turned dash panels were fashionable in the 1920's and 1930's.  The 1941 Buick sported one of our early automotive dash panels.

More than half a century later, engine turned aluminum finishes are popular again.  Automotive trim is once again embracing the finish.  The process basically remains the same with the surface of the metal being mechanically abraded creating a series of spins.  The spins reflect light creating movement and an interactive surface as shown here on the striking Mercedes SLK trim.

The engine turn process remains the same but advances in forming and printing expand your metal trim options.  The classic finish is being reinvented into stylish trim as shown here on the elegant Bentley dashboard. 

Engine Turned Metal

Mechanical finishes are protected with a clear topcoat.  They can be layered with transparent tints of color to coordinate with your color palette.  Although often used overall on trim, the engine turn finish can be applied selectively creating accents of bright aluminum.  Don't rule out using the engine turn finish on nameplates.  It takes on a different look when used in a small scale.  It is quite appropriate for graphics or a background.

How would you use an engine turn finish on product trim or a nameplate?  Request engine turned samples to see the movement this mechanical finish adds to metal. 

Fine Art Prints on Metal

Joseph Raffael, Sanctuary
screen print/lithograph on aluminum
12 x 33 in. - 30 x 82,5 cm
2004

I'll share one more of Joseph Raffael's lithographs on aluminum here.  All four prints take advantage of the reflective metal surface mirroring the intensity and energy Raffael puts into his watercolors.  Brushing, screen print and lithograph are layered together in the aluminum prints reflecting light and creating movement.

Fine Art Prints on Metal

Joseph Raffael, Passageway
screen print/lithograph on aluminum
33 x 23 in. - 82,5 x 57,5 cm
2004

Fine Art Prints on Metal

Joseph Raffael, Spring
screen print/lithograph on aluminum
33 x 23 in. - 82,5 x 57,5 cm
2003

Another one of our favorite Joseph Raffael  prints is shown here.  Process color is used again to reproduce the vivid colors.  The print layers brushing, lithograph and screen printing creating movement and depth. 

Fine Art Prints on Metal

Joseph Raffael, Spring Pond
screen print/lithograph on aluminum
33 x 23 in. - 82,5 x 57,5 cm
2003

Over the years we have worked with several artists creating originals and prints on aluminum.  Spring Pond was the first print we worked with Joseph Raffael on.  The final art illustrates the versatility and flexibility of the aluminum substrate.  The value of aluminum is increased by how you choose to decorate it.  In this case it is elevated to the level of fine art.  The same processes employed to create a nameplate or automotive trim are used in prints on aluminum.  Using these processes can help you create aluminum trim to elevate the perceived value of your product.

Process color is used to reproduce the many varied colors in the original art.  This lithograph is layered with screen printing and selective brushing to add further depth to the image.

Metal Center Stack Trim

Variations on aluminum center stack trim are created off the same tooling.  Changing the look is achieved through the aluminum decoration.  Most often when working with aluminum trim, designers build on the reflective quality of metal.  Simple geometric finishes shown here let the aluminum characteristics shine through.  Selective brushing is the base process for several of the finishes building flip or movement into the surface.

One of the first things anyone does when they see the trim is to reach out and touch the surface.  It is as if we are looking for validation that it feels as it appears.  We are somehow disappointed when the surface is smooth.  These finishes do not disappoint.  The texture integrated into each of the patterns is screen printed.  The texture can be applied in various gloss levels to achieve a subtle effect.  A black texture adds contrast to the technical finish.

Aluminum automotive trim is completed using an aluminum in-mold or crimped process, integrating the aluminum skin and plastic carrier into one piece.  You can use aluminum trim to carry a theme throughout a vehicle on trim in areas such as:

Updating the trim with a new finish allows easy differentiation for new models or a refresh.  Cost is minimized since a common tool is used for all trim variations.  Graphics can be added to the trim to further differentiate and customize products. 

How would you integrate aluminum trim into a vehicle?  A washer and dryer? A laptop or printer?  What type of finish would you use?

Request samples of aluminum trim to see examples of the crimped and aluminum in-mold process.