Have a question about a nameplate or badge?
The Nameplate FAQ page covers common questions in the following areas.
Current Articles | RSS Feed
Alignment of product branding is a critical consideration in your design. Round dials pose the challenge of not having a flat edge and can easily become off-center. The 2013 Avalanche Black Diamond Badge illustrates one option among the many available for locating your badge on the product.
The attractive metal badge relies on sharp graphics aligned with a crisp emboss. The surface of the emblem has a slight dome and formed edge to add depth to the overall appearance. Further dimension is achieved with selective brush for a bevel-look depicting mountain peaks.
The molded backplate has keying features to help align the badge with its adhesive through the use of an assembly fixture. The aluminum in-mold process also provides increased dent resistance for the exterior application.
A challenge in the design of this part was assuring the alignment of the nameplate to the vehicle. This was done with an adhesive tab extending beyond the part which features the same holes as a foam carrier which lines up in the assembly fixture. The foam carrier surrounds the nameplate and registers the exact placement on the vehicle. The badge is held in place with the foam carrier via a plastic mask. The keying features of the backplate are used again to ensure the precise alignment onto the exterior of the vehicle. The plastic mask and foam carrier are easily removed and discarded during installation, requiring little fuss.
Does your next project need help with alignment? Let's talk!
0 Comments Click here to read/write comments
The automotive industry requires lightweight, durable and attractive visuals to represent their brands. Aluminum nameplates meet these demands for interior and exterior automotive applications.
Typical applications for aluminum emblems and badges in an automobile include:
engine cover nameplates wheel inserts sill plates VIN plates steering wheel badges
Here is a sampling of 12 aluminum nameplates used in the automotive industry. Which nameplates do you recognize?
Samples of nameplates are a great way to explore and better understand options available for designing a nameplate. Northern engraving offers a Nameplate Materials and Processes Guide with numerous samples on aluminum for your branding needs.
TransAm GTA Emblem
One of the classic designs, the TransAm nameplate, features a coined texture on the firebird contrasted by the black background. The metallic gold tones really allow this design to catch the eye. This is a perfect example of a timeless, recognizable emblem.
Request a Nameplate Materials and Processes Guide to begin exploring the options available to you in creating your product branding.
Doming Process on a Gear Shift Knob Insert
The doming process used on this gear shift knob highlights the metal finish creating a focal point. The brushed aluminum background is printed with the logo and then layered with norlens, a doming process. The norlens process is a simple, cost-effective way to provide durability and shine to an otherwise ordinary piece. While this technique is popular on labels, it provides an unigue look when formed making this design pop.
For more information on the norlens or doming process, check out this presentation.
From custom woodgrain finishes to complex aluminum trim pieces with critical registration, Northern Engraving has long been a global leader in pushing the boundaries in automotive nameplates and decorative trim. Layering of processes brings unique depth and dimension. Embossing and forming capabilities allow you to go beyond a nameplate. Create a trim piece integrated into your product design. As far as you are able to dream, we give life to that dream.
Check out our nameplate and trim galleries to see all the possibilities.
The automotive industry demands appealing, lightweight and durable vehicle graphics. Aluminum nameplates are an attractive option meeting the demands of interior and exterior automotive applications. A wide range of options in decorating and forming aluminum allow you to design eye-catching emblems for your brand image. Protective coating on the nameplate provides a barrier of protection from the environment.
•Steering Wheel Badges •Engine Cover Nameplates •VIN Plates •Wheel Inserts •Sill Plates
Diamond T’s were manufactured in Chicago beginning in the 1905 and eventually merged with Reo and became Diamond Reo’s. During their time of manufacture, they were considered to be the “Cadillac of Trucks” and had many features not available on standard working vehicles including roll out front windows and vents. The most distinctive element of the Diamond T is its stainless steel front grille with several horizontal “teeth”. Looking much like a modern semi-tractor, their pickup trucks are the most rare and highly prized by collectors.
Diamond T pickups sported a “nose piece” that included a black cloisonné emblem with a gold “T” in the center and framed by gold in a diamond pattern. These emblems are often lost or damaged and are not available as parts or replacements since the company is no longer in business.
Pictured above is the recreated nameplate for the Diamond T Truck. Clear ink is screened to create a filigree texture that you can see and feel.
Northern Engraving has been an instrumental part of automobile manufacturing for over a century and many of the early medallions were developed by previous leaders of the company. As I work with restoration specialists, they are quick to mention Northern Engraving as the maker of ornamental pieces on collector cars and trucks.
Knowing the history and having personal experience and relationships with many at Northern Engraving, it was only logical for me to choose Northern Engraving to make the reproduction pieces for America’s finest trucks. The results of the manufacturing efforts are a beautiful representation of Diamond T history.
Wheel inserts for the automotive industry are exposed to harsh environments. A clear topcoat protects the metal and your printed image in this environment making the emblems not only resistant to damage from temperature extremes but also scratch, fade, salt, oil and chemical resistant.
The wheel inserts shown here illustrate three levels of complexity in metal decoration. All rely on a protective topcoat to meet exterior automotive requirements. The Pontiac emblem illustrates the use of a standard printing process to define the logo on bright aluminum. In contrast, the Chevrolet logo adds dimension with embossing and movement with a spun background. Finally, the Buick wheel insert takes dimension a step further with the addition of a selective dome on the shields. A common tool with interchangeable embossing minimizes the investment in tooling for the three wheel inserts.
Request a Nameplate Materials and Processes Guide to begin exploring the options available to you in creating your product identification.
Congratulations to the team at our Holmen division and all who work with the Stoneridge account. Our COO, Jon Walter, proudly took home two awards for Northern Engraving while attending the Supplier Awareness Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, in May. Northern Engraving received an award for Continuous Improvement and Outstanding Support and another for Lean Thinking and Process Improvement.
Northern Engraving took home two of the ten awards given out at the conference, which over sixty suppliers attended.
See full press release.
The awards are a sculpture of Kalevipoeg, which is Estonia’s national symbol. Kalevipoeg bears a ship which represents a hero who protects his home and people.
The Holmen division largely manufactures polycarbonate dials for Stoneridge, which are installed into class 8 semi cabs built by Navistar International, marketed as ProStar. Northern Engraving contributes to building up to 40,000 high end semi-trucks each year. In addition, Stoneridge has empowered the expertise of Northern Engraving’s tool and design teams to create a special instrumentation cluster for a limited edition Harley Davidson themed cab. The limited edition cab was manufactured at Navistar, where Northern Engraving designed the aluminum trim with an engine turning technique, as well as incorporating polycarbonate dials.
Do you have a logo that is a good candidate for engine turning? Would you like to explore more finish options in nameplate design? Please request free samples to see varieties of options that are available to you.
There are an endless array of options in designing a wheel inserts. The Buick wheel insert shown here combines molded plastic and aluminum to create a multi-dimensional look. The aluminum piece features bright graphics embossed on a spun background. The depth in the molded plastic piece adds a focal point to the round dial.
The Oldsmobile Final 500 sillplate features a deep etch process combined with brushed and bright aluminum. Deep etch is a chemical process which creates recessed graphics with a depth of .005" compared to a standard etch depth of .0015" to .003". This option worked well for this program which had a limited volume. It added dimension eliminating the need for an emboss or deboss tool.
Roush | Adding Dimension to a Flat Door Sill PlateLincoln | Stainless Steel Sill PlateMustang | Aluminum Sill Plate Through Mold Graphics on Hummer Sill plate
All Posts | Next Page