After meeting British Standards for IP ratings for over 20 years, market leading graphic overlay and membrane keypad manufacturer, Fascia Graphics has gone one stage further – working with an external test house to approve its IP54, IP65 and IP67 rated keypads.

Speaking to the company’s Managing Director, Paul Bennett, we got more of an insight into the importance of IP ratings and the benefits for their customers.

 

Fascia in Action – A ‘first class’ service to instrumentation manufacturers

In 2005, the Managing Director of one of the leading manufacturers of moisture and humidity meters decided that he wanted to find another supplier for its membrane keypads and graphic overlays as he was keen to improve quality, whilst not increasing costs.

Being an industry leader, they wanted to ensure they had the best quality for their products, and wanted to work with a supplier with many years of experience supplying instrumentation manufacturers.

The Managing Director contacted Fascia Graphics and after being impressed by the initial discussions, Fascia became sole supplier of membrane keypads and graphic overlays for a range of products – with order sizes varying from 200 to 2,000 units.

The Managing Director of the moisture and humidity meter manufacturer said:

“Like most manufacturers, quality is our chief concern and we have built a longstanding reputation for first class production, quality control and customer service. It was therefore essential that Fascia Graphics met our high quality standards and at the same time delivered on our timescales.”

“After the first 18 months, they had not only impressed me on both of these key factors, they had also been very quick to provide expert advice on what can and what can’t be achieved. I look forward to continuing our 10 year working relationship.”

What do IP ratings mean for your customers?

“An IP rating or Ingress Protection rating defines the sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosure standards. It classifies and rates the degree of protection for mechanical casings and electrical enclosures against the intrusion of foreign bodies such as dust and water. Following completion of the IP tests and a complete test report, we are able to further reassure customers that the products we supply are fully tested to the requirements set out in the relevant British Standards for IP ratings.”

 

Why did you get an external testing house to check your products?

“Over the last twenty years of manufacturing membrane keypads and graphic overlays our commitment to quality standards and continuous improvement has ensured we remain the market leader. By getting an external test house to IP rate test our overlays, we have received an objective, standalone, seal of approval that if you choose Fascia Graphics, you will receive the highest quality IP rated product.”

 

What other important quality standards does Fascia hold?

“We have recently achieved another three year ISO 9001:2008 accredited certification for our Quality Management Systems. We completed the two-day audit with no non-conformances and this achievement marks 20 years of Fascia Graphics being ISO accredited.

Fascia also holds the UL mark. From public adoption of electricity, to new breakthroughs in sustainability, renewable energy and nanotechnology – UL is one of several companies approved by the US Federal Agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to perform safety testing.

Essentially, the UL Mark is the most widely recognised safety certification mark in the world and widely acknowledged for its safety standards, integrity and independence.”

 

For further information on Fascia Graphics, visit http://www.fasciagraphics.co.uk/, or call 0800 0323080, or email sales@fasciagraphics.co.uk