The Defense and Aerospace industry have many tools and equipment that must have permanent labeling. There are rules and regulations that mandate equipment has various service ratings that are visible for inspection. These tags must be able to withstand a beating. That’s why they trust Metalphoto®.
Metalphoto® has been around for over 50 years. It’s been used for barcode labels, name badges, and plaques. Its durability makes it a favorite for labeling equipment in the military. It’s perfect for aircraft data plates and machine panel fronts.
What is Metalphoto® and why is it so durable?
Metalphoto’s durability comes from its image – which is sealed inside of the anodized aluminum, providing corrosion, sunlight, abrasion, temperature and chemical resistance. Its unique, photographic imaging process creates ultra-high resolution graphics and variable information – including machine-readable barcodes, anti-counterfeit security features and serialized data.
Metalphoto® was put to the test by the Department of Defense. It was found to be resilient in each of these categories:
- Abrasion resistance: tested against an abrading wheel for 7,000 cycles
- Acid corrosion: no image loss after 24 hours in 3% nitric acid
- Heat resistance: withstood 1000 degrees Fahrenheit
- Salt spray corrosion: was still in “very good” condition after 113 days of seawater exposure
- Accelerated light and weather resistance: withstood a simulated outdoor exposure of 20 years
- Accelerated oxygen aging: showed no discoloration after 96 hours of being blasted with oxygen
- Stain resistance: didn’t fade after being exposed to iodine
- Cleaning resistance: was resistant to alkaline cleaners like the types used on aircraft
- Low temp resistance: images didn’t fade after 1 hour at -50 degrees Fahrenheit
- Organic solvent resistant: was unaffected by a multitude of solvents from JP-4 jet fuel to Acetone
- Thermal shock: could handle extreme changes in temperature from 125 degrees celsius to -65 degrees celsius
MetalPhoto® comes in a range of finishes to match your production needs
- Matte non-reflective with a dull finish
- Satin semi-gloss for light reflectiveness
- Brush #4 brushed to resemble a stainless steel finish
- Gloss- high reflection; almost mirror
Other great uses for Metalphoto®
- Data plates
- Equipment labels
- Awards
- Energy compliance tags
- Mining compliance tags
- Wayfinding signage
- Diagrams and schematics
If you’d like quality and durability that matches U.S. Military standards, contact the Detroit Name Plate Etching Company. With in-house design services your next labeling project will be hassle free.