OKW has introduced a new specialist machining service for LED backlighting as part of its enclosure customisation options, allowing electronics designers to maintain ingress protection when fitting LEDs or light pipes to a front panel.

This innovative service gives designers the chance to enhance their devices with subtle visual features. It is particularly well suited to applications requiring the display of numbers or letters in environments where dust or moisture could pose a risk.

The backlighting delivers a soft, understated glow. Numbers or letters only become visible when illuminated—at all other times, they remain hidden, with no visible LEDs, as the components are positioned beneath the surface of the panel. Crucially, the enclosure’s IP rating remains unaffected.

To achieve this effect, OKW machines shallow indentations into the underside of the panel. LEDs are then installed beneath these areas, following the customer's design requirements. The indentations are thin enough to allow the light to pass through the plastic without making the LEDs or the machining visible when the backlighting is off.

This backlighting service is ideally suited to models such as OKW’s SMART-PANEL, a sleek wall-mounted enclosure designed for building management systems, smart homes, offices, IoT/IIoT applications, instrumentation, healthcare, laboratories and security technology.

The backlighting option complements OKW’s extensive range of modification services, which also includes CNC machining, printing, laser marking, decorative foils, EMC shielding, and the installation or assembly of accessories. Lacquering and the use of specialist materials are also available to meet specific design requirements.