PHENOLIC NAMEPLATES AND
LASER ENGRAVING FOR THE
ELECTRICAL TRADES
.........Since 1991

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1). What are Kentron’s hours ?

8:30 to 5:00 Monday through Fridays.

2). What is considered a standard size for a nameplate ?

For decades, the most popular size nameplate used in the electrical contracting trades, must include the perverbial 1” x 3” at or near the top of the list. Typically a 2-ply black/white ( or vice versa ) material provided with beveled edges and adhesive back. We engrave so many of these, we simply charge a flat rate price of $ 1.85, no matter the number of characters or lines of text. Quantity discounts naturally apply.

3). What material are Kentron’s nameplates made of ?

Back in the bygone days ( prior to the ‘80’s or thereabouts ) nameplates for the electrical trades were primarily made of “Micarta”. A very hard laminate material made of composites originally developed by George Westinghouse in the early 1900’s and using phenolic resins. Hence the name “phenolic nameplates” I suppose. Although “Micarta” material is still available ( and still used in our trade mostly for extreme condition applications ), it’s expensive, does not fabricate easily and resulting dust hazardous to inhale, thus requiring special precautions in the workplace.

Nowadays, the industry standard engraving stock material by far for nameplates, is a flexible modified acrylic manufactured by many different companies that serve the engraving markets. The material is available in a wide range of colors, special faux finishes, thicknesses, etc….you name it ! Moreover, there is a wide selection of this material to choose from that has been specially developed to achieve superior results using laser technologies.

4). Are Kentron’s nameplates suitable for outdoor applications ?

Yes, the production engraving material we use is UV stable and suitable for indoor/outdoor applications. More expensive for us as indoor only rated material costs less. That said, we can never be 100% certain where our nameplates are going to be installed. Thus, better to assume the worse case and be safe than sorry. ( indoor rated material will fade sooner and become brittle and can crack prematurely depending on the extent of exposure to sun and moisture outdoors. ).

5). What adhesive does Kentron apply to nameplates ?

We have been using 3M adhesive product 468MP exclusively the past 20+ years with fantastic results and never have registered a single complaint. The 468MP is a double-sided high performance 5mil transfer adhesive suitable for outdoor applications. Adhesion is far superior to unbranded inexpensive tape ( also referred to as “trophy tape” ) that some shops use. Moreover, the 468MP is better suited for a wider range of applications encountered in the field than the other popular 3M product 467MP. The difference is in the thickness of the adhesive, 2mil vs. 5mil.

6). What provisions does Kentron provide for screw mounting applications ?

We don’t drill holes, rather cut all holes precisely using the laser. Very fast and the holes are perfectly round and spaced exactly the same. We can provide nameplates and tags with screw holes and adhesive as well which facilitates installing in the field using the stainless steel # 4 x 3/8” self-tapping screws we offer as an option.

7). Is it possible to engrave common electrical symbols such as those typically used to denote phase and grounding ?

Yes, any symbol can be easily inserted and engraved using a laser.

8). Can your laser engrave metal ?

Our 60 watt laser can “etch” stainless steel and aluminum with a permanent high contrast mark using a patent protected coating technology called “CerMark”. Perfect in most instances for marking stainless receptacle and switch plates, valve tags and nameplates. This is an increasingly popular method and very cost effective. Otherwise, we can engrave metal using our rotary machine and paint fill the characters afterwards if required.

9). How does Kentron package orders ?

We sort all orders to coincide with the listing provided, or as otherwise directed. Afterwards shrink wrap the nameplates into small easy to handle groups clearly identified. For smaller orders, we may tape the nameplates to chipboard and ship in a 13” x 10” envelope.

10). Does Kentron charge extra for rush service ?

No....same competitive prices for all jobs we can ship same day or next and we have no minimum charge to meet.

11). What can I do to speed delivery and/or save some money ?

Email us your list in text ( .txt ), Word, or Excel format. We can usually import the data directly into our engraving software with minimal effort. Depending on the size of the order and number of characters and lines per plate, providing us a digital file can equate to a discount between 5 and 10%.

12). Do I have to choose from a limited selection of standard nameplate sizes as some shops require ?

No....We size our nameplates to best suit our customer’s requirements in terms of providing for professional appearance while keeping pricing to a minimum. We don’t force customers to compromise by limiting choices. We stock full size sheets of engraving stock and cut blanks on a “as required” basis.

13). Does Kentron offer open credit terms ?

Yes, subject to completing a credit application and satisfactory review. All initial orders must be paid via cash, check, wire transfer or credit card. Open credit review normally requires two weeks to finalize.

14). What credit cards does Kentron accept ?

Mastercard, Visa, American Express and payments via PayPal.

15). If I’m a current customer and need only one or two small nameplates in a rush ?

Stop by and pickup at no charge !

16). How does Kentron ship orders ?

We ship 99% of all orders via UPS who pickup at our shop every work day just before closing. Occasionally we’ll mail very small orders in an envelope to keep the cost in check. The downside is, there is no means of tracking the order and for that reason, we use mail service sparingly.

17). What do you charge for shipping and handling via UPS ?

The actual cost we are charged for the delivery service and insurance, plus $1.25 to help offset packaging costs. ( additional charges may apply if special packaging is required ).