Nameplate Blog

Every Harley-Davidson V-Twin motor since 1970 features an aluminum timer cover manufactured right here in Sparta, Wisconsin.  It is a source of pride to our employees when traveling throughout the US or around the world to see motorcycles featuring nameplates made by Northern Engraving.   

The trained eye can differentiate the era of the motor by the design of these timer covers.  Many use common tooling with unique combinations of brushed, spun and printed designs to differentiate the specific models.   

Characteristics of Harley-Davidson Timer Covers

•   Common shape and size
•   Thick 0.060" aluminum 
•   Multi-level embossing
•   Diamond cut graphics 
•   Model specific decoration

The timer cover was originally created to serve a functional purpose: protecting the moving parts that were part of the ignition system. Today, with the introduction of solid state electronics, the part is purely decorative.

Many of Harley-Davidson’s evolutionary milestones have been featured on timer covers.  Some of these include the famous V2 design emphasizing the twin cylinder motor, introduction of the five speed transmission, and the Evolution series motors and Twin Cam’s.  All of the mechanical advancements were marked by graphics on the timer cover.  Since its introduction on the 1970 Shovelhead, the timer cover has had a constant presence on each and every Harley-Davidson motor produced.  

What a ride it has been!  The timer covers are excellent examples of how common tooling can be relevant and carry a brand over many style changes, coming to be an expected component with new launches.

Do your product lines have common attributes that can be enhanced with a badge or label?

When designing your nameplate or label, of course the logo or name is the highlight.  Maybe you want to add some interest and perceived value for the brand.  Perhaps there is a need to differentiate one series from another within the product line.  Have you thought about adding a pattern to your design?  

Patterns in nameplates and labels can be found in any market from consumer electronics and recreational equipment to POP/Promotional and Packaging.  While patterns in our library are developed on aluminum, many of them can be translated to plastic substrates.  

Here are some examples of nameplates, labels and trim which utilize patterns in various ways.

Endless Possibilities

The possibilities are endless when considering pattern in your design.  Choose from finishes ranging from technical and brushed to marble and carbon fiber.  Build your own or pick one from our diverse selection of surfaces.  Mechanical finishes, printing and screening processes are used to build patterns.  All are easily integrated into the background of a nameplate to add interest and make your brand name stand out.  Once designed, changes in pattern can be used to differentiate between models in a product line.  The possibilities are as diverse as the brands that use them.

A library of thousands of patterns and options is at your finger tips.  The ability to customize color, scale and substrate is wide open.   Can you use any of these in your next design?

Related Posts on Patterns in Nameplates and Trim

Case Study: Cobra Radar Detectors 
Case Study: Ford Mustang Concept Car 
4 Options for Adding Patterns to Your Nameplate 
5 Reasons to Add Finish or Pattern to your Nameplate Design

By utilizing our expertise in decorating aluminum to dress and replace their existing plastic label for a medical sonogram machine, our customer now has a nameplate unlike any other.   

To begin the nameplate creation process, finish requirements needed to include:

• an embossed logo with a textured background
• selective perforations for audio support

The true challenge of this part lied in providing a solution to support different sized piercings for the speaker requirements, providing visual appeal without interfering sound quality. The result:

   

The next step in the process involved choosing a finish. After referencing our extensive library of finishes, we quickly zeroed in on a textured finish for the background to compliment the embossed logo. This black texture creates tactile and visual interest while allowing for the embossed area to be a focal point. 

The final result left the customer extremely happy with the results and we are now working with them to enhance the quality level of the matching polycarbonate overlay for the same product.

Request a Nameplate Materials and Processes Guide to begin exploring the options available to you in creating product branding that differentiates your product.  Custom color matches, texture and assembly are only some of the options.

Do you have a smart phone or camera phone? There is now an easy way to connect potential or current customers to your website to learn more about your product: feature a QR code on your next label design.

A QR (quick response) code is a collection of black modules arranged in square patterns on a white background that can be decoded at a high speed. These codes have been around since the early 90's but were mainly used for industrial applications.

This QR code was featured on our most recent holiday card and linked to the specific blog post describing the processes that went into creating the design. With the addition of the QR code, any recipient of the card can now directly access more information on our product without having to know our website all that well.

Consider incorporating a QR code on your next label design whether on aluminum or plastic substrates and give the mobile experience.

Request samples of various label designs to begin exploring options for your project.

Once again Northern Engraving has been busy designing and printing our holiday card.  Many look forward to seeing the new design each year. This year's card features aluminum finishes from our pattern library brought together into a modern holiday design. The library is a resource available to customers for integration into their product branding and decorative trim. This year we chose to highlight the versatility of aluminum with a card that layers finishes from our pattern library next to each other in a festive design.

How It's Made | 2012 Metal Holiday Card

Red Swirl Pattern

This unique pattern was created using a large scale rendition of a familiar shape: a music note. The organic graphic involves a two-direction brush with a selective red tint, giving an overall tone-on-tone look.

Silver Pattern

Atop this tree sits a silver star. This pattern is created using a selective brush pattern over bright aluminum. Within the overall pattern are alternating selective gloss and selective dull areas, giving the pattern more dimension and visual appeal.

Green Diamond Pattern

On this particular pattern, a clear texture is applied over brushed aluminum, creating the subtle diamond pattern. A green tint is applied to enhance the overall look.

The subtle patterns incorporated into the white background are enlarged versions of the graphics used on the holiday tree. The possibilities are endless in customizing aluminum patterns whether for a holiday card or your custom project. Change the color, scale or gloss to make it your own. Request a disc collection to begin exploring the options available to you in pattern development.

Request a disc collection to begin exploring the variety of finishes available for panels, overlays and decorative trim.

Customers often request a color or texture match to ensure a seamless design on their end product. A nameplate or badge can mimic the texture or material of the desired item. This is especially important for household goods and furniture products.

Through continuous improvements in design and technology, Bionaire's industrial design takes into account the lines, textures and materials of other items in a home, creating an ideal balance of form and function.

The choice of color on this particular nameplate highlights the trendy and unique design qualities of the end product.

Described as pioneers, perfectionists, innovators, and idealists the brand is pushing the boundaries to create exceptional products with high quality brand representation on aluminum.

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 metal and plastic substrates to assist you in the process.

Copper is a recent trend in design for the interior and exterior of our home. So, why not incorporate this trend in a nameplate design? Achieving the look of copper on an aluminum substrate is a relatively simple and cost-effective process to enhance the look of your badge.

To obtain this look, copper tints and metallic copper finishes are available. Tinting the aluminum substrate allows the brightness of the metal to shine through. A tint can be applied over a mechanical finish, highlighting its design and varying the copper tones when the nameplate or badge is in motion. In addition, a brushed aluminum can be utilized to create a slight linear pattern, adding visual interest. Using a metallic copper finish achieves a subtle texture while keeping the true color of copper consistent through the use of metal pigments (flakes). The finish covers the original substrate creating the appearance of etched metal.

The following nameplate examples highlight each aspect of the design and include description of which processes are used on each example. This is just a small sample of the many options available for your design considerations.

Background: copper technical finish 
Peace: low gloss brushed copper tint
Happiness: low gloss brushed copper tint, matte black lettering

Background: white border, copper finish with gradated black fade
Peace: copper tint
Happiness: metallic copper finish, white lettering

Background: copper technical finish
Peace: high gloss brushed copper tint
Happiness: low gloss brushed copper tint, matte black lettering

Background: copper technical finish
Peace: high gloss copper tinted engine stripe
Happiness: white, copper tinted lettering

Background: white technical finish
Peace: low gloss copper tinted engine stripe
Happiness: low gloss copper tint, white lettering

Now that you have seen several combinations of incorporating copper finishes into your brand, keep in mind the array of design possibilities that extend beyond the above examples. The addition of mechanical finishes and color processes can enhance your brand image and result in an eye-catching and recognizable end product.

How will you incorporate copper finishes into your next design?

Samples of nameplates are a great way to explore and better understand the options available to you in designing a nameplate.  Northern engraving offers a Nameplate Materials and Processes Guide with numerous samples on metal and plastic substrates to assist you in the process.

Personalized Plaque 

Alienware designed an aluminum plaque for the bottom of their laptop to be personalized for each customer.  The plaque announces the custom-built M15x is unique to only them.  The nameplate design features the Alienware logo printed on brushed aluminum.  In contrast to having the personalization completed at the time of manufacturing the plaque, the laser customization is completed as the laptop is built.  Recessed holes are pierced in the corners of the plaque for assembly to the laptop.

How would you integrate customization into a product?  What type of products would be a candidate for a customized nameplate or emblem?

Request custom laser-etched nameplates to begin exploring this process and the options available to you in personalization.

Laser Etched Harley-Davidson 35th Anniversary Badge

The 35th Anniversary Super Glide pays homage to the original red, white and blue 1971 FX Super Glide designed by Willie G. Davidson.  Only 3,500 numbered examples were produced each with a laser etched anniversary badge.  Laser etching is used on emblems and badges for personalization or serialization.  Laser etching allows customization on each individual badge. This aluminum badge also features diamond cut graphics and a bright border.

The anniversary bike carries the color scheme through the badging with the red, white and blue 1 badge.  Diamond cut and bright borders accent the bold colors. 

The diamond cut graphics and bright borders are repeated on the aluminum tank badges.  All three of the badges shown here have formed edges giving them dimension.  Foam adhesive is used for assembly to the motorcycle.

The three badges use the same processes to create three very different looks.  However, the common decorative processes tie the branding together for a unified look.

Custom Tesla Founders' Series Plaque

Laser Etched Personalization

Laser etching is used to customize each of the Tesla Founders' Series plaques.  The tooling for this aluminum plaque is also used to create a plaque for the Signature One Hundred series.

The limited-edition "Signature One Hundred" series Tesla Roadster, the first high-performance electric car manufactured by Tesla Motors, sold out in three weeks.  Each customer made a $100,000 deposit to join the Signature One Hundred Club and reserve their Signature One Hundred special edition Tesla Roadster.  The Signature One Hundred edition includes a commemorative plaque in the cockpit personalized for the customer and signed by the company's principals.

The personalized plaque is brushed aluminum with a printed transparent grey tint.  The founders' signatures and Tesla logo are printed on the metal.  A laser is used to customize each plaque.

Laser etching affords customization via serialization, numbering and personalization.  A wide range of fonts are available to be integrated into part design.  What type of nameplate or badge project might benefit from laser etched customization?