Unique sign engineering for post and panel hospital signs
At L&H Companies we find that designers and customers prefer and require sign construction that is clean, precise and show little or no framing or fasteners. Here is an example of a hospital sign project with a very clean aesthetic.
Designed by Kolano Design, the original design intent for these hospital signs featured tight tolerances, minimal gaps, flat surfaces, and no visible fasteners. We applied some unique engineering to the post and panel design that can be described as a hook and slot construction. The lettered panels have brake formed edges with slots cut into them. The frame work has hooked edges slightly smaller than the slots positioned several inches above the final resting spot of the slots on the panel. The slots on the panel match up with the hooks on the framework, then the panel slides down to the point that the top edge stops and rests on a narrow shelf at the top of the framework. Small screws fasten the panel at the top edge only where it rests on the shelf. The panel is fastened on the left and right edges by the close tolerances between the hooks and slots. After the panel is attached, a top cap is attached to finish the sign with a clean look. Here are some close up details of the construction:
The following brief animations from our 3D sign engineering program illustrate the concept:
This construction provides the means to easily remove and update the panels if necessary.
One of the other advantages of brake forming the panels is that the folded edges increase the rigidity and flatness of the panels, significantly reducing the tendency of the surface to become wavy or oil-canned:
Maintaining a perfectly flat surface with a clean look is possible with creative sign engineering. Thanks for reading this far and for looking at our first shot at 3D animations. If you have any questions about this construction tecnique, we'd love to answer them in the comments section below.