Instrument clusters, dials, and gauges help identify important controls and indicators. Instrument clusters are most commonly found in dashboards of vehicles and heavy equipment. Some of the most common instrument clusters include:
Instrument clusters and gauges are not only aesthetically important for your vehicle or machinery, but they can also help operators easily and quickly identify and resolve potential equipment problems.
Backlighting can be considered the easiest way to make your message stand out on a dial or gauge. LEDs can be added to the circuitry to allow for the alert messages to pop up and notify the operator.
Another popular trick to make your dial or gauge stand out is embossing and debossing. Embossing creates a raised image, design or text on the overlay materials. Debossing creates a recessed image, design, or text. These special features are done through the process of thermal or vacuum formation.
Deadfronting allows for messages to be hidden until they become backlit. Deadfronting is very popular in marine and automotive instrument dials.
There is a wide range of specialty inks available that can be used to create special design features. Inks can appear to be any color, which makes matching them to your brand’s colors easy. Metallic and glossy finishes are also available as extra design features.