Switch & Panel Name Plates

A name plate is a separate piece of material fixed to the panel face to identify one control. It sits under the retaining nut of a push button, or is screwed and pinned beside a selector switch, indicator lamp, limit switch or junction box. Because it is a discrete plate rather than a mark on the panel itself, it can be unscrewed and swapped when a control changes function, which is why maintenance teams keep asking for name plates for switches rather than a repainted fascia.

Push button cutouts are made in both 22 mm and 30 mm to suit the two common control diameters. The outline can be a full circle, a half circle that sits above or below the button, a square, a keyhole, or a plain rectangle with a centre hole. Half circles suit a maintained selector, with an ON legend above the button and OFF below. Fixing is normally by the control's own nut, or by countersunk screws on plates that mount alongside.

Both engraving and screen printing are used, and the right choice depends on the plate. Engraving cuts the character into the surface so the legend survives solvent wiping and abrasion, and on two-ply engraving laminate it exposes a contrasting core colour, typically white text through a black face. Screen printing lays the ink onto the surface and is the better option for finer strokes, several colours on one plate, small symbols, and for repeat runs where every plate in a batch has to look identical. Tell us the environment and the quantity and we will advise which method fits. Engraved plates are produced under our Milmark process brand, screen printed plates under Milscreen.

Engraving laminate (Gravoply and Traffolyte) is the usual material for indoor panels and switchrooms: a rigid two-ply plastic, cheap enough to replace freely, giving clean high-contrast characters at small text sizes. Anodised aluminium is light, will not rust, and takes both processes well, which suits outdoor kiosks, pump controls and plant rooms. Stainless steel is the choice for wash down areas, food and pharmaceutical plant, and coastal sites, because it can be hosed and scrubbed without losing the legend.

Standard legends are the ones most panels need: ON, OFF, START, STOP, EMERGENCY STOP, RESET, TRIP, HOA for hand off auto, and R-PHASE, Y-PHASE and B-PHASE for phase indication. These are made to order rather than held as stock, so a standard legend runs on the same lead time as a custom one. Wording, typeface, text height, plate size and colour are therefore open on every order, including bilingual plates and plates carrying a tag number.

Work can be supplied as a single replacement plate or as a complete matched set for a new panel. Send an AutoCAD drawing, a panel schedule, a marked up photograph or even a spreadsheet of tag numbers and legends. We accept DWG, AI, PDF, EPS, CDR and PNG. Million has in house graphic designers, so if the artwork is not ready we can help set out the plate; talk to us about the scope before you order.

Choose name plates when each control needs its own removable label, when the panel is already built, or when a single legend has to change without touching the rest of the fascia. If instead you want the identification put onto the panel's own surface as one scheme, see Control Panel Markings. Contact us with your drawings, quantities and the environment the panel sits in for a quotation.

Specified alongside our control panel markings and graphic overlays, which cover the same panel face as one printed piece rather than individual plates.