A fryer can have a perfect element, a new thermostat and a sound gasket, and still be a problem on the line. The reason is usually the front panel. After a few years of heat, grease and degreaser, the printed scale around the thermostat shaft fades to nothing. The 0 and 1 on a rocker switch plate wear off. The operator turns the knob "to about there" and hopes for the best.
We see this every week in our switch panel repairs. Very often the part behind the panel is fine. What has failed is the information on the front of it. Until now we could replace the knob, but not the markings it points to.
This month we added two new products to fix that, both made at our Midrand depot on equipment from AM.CO.ZA:
- replacement control decals: dial rings, temperature scales and switch-position labels printed on UV-DTF transfers;
- laser-marked switch plates and equipment ID tags in anodised aluminium.
Replacement control decals, printed on UV-DTF
A UV-DTF transfer is printed with UV-cured ink onto a clear film and laminated. You peel it, place it on a hard, clean surface such as brushed stainless steel or a plastic fascia, press it down and lift the carrier film away. What is left is a thin, glossy, hard-wearing print with no background, so a dial ring looks as if it was printed on the panel at the factory.
We print ours on an AM.CO.ZA 300 mm UV-DTF printer with a built-in laminator (F-UVDTF/300 on BuyThis). It prints and laminates in one pass, so a sheet of decals is ready to cut and pack as soon as it comes out.
The range so far covers the decals we are asked for most often:
- thermostat dial rings for fryers, ovens, griddles and heated cabinets, with the scale in the right units and the right sweep for the shaft;
- 0/1 and 0/1/2 position labels for rocker and selector switches;
- simple symbol strips (heat, fan, timer, wash, rinse) for dishwasher and oven control faces.
When you order a knob set, we now ask whether the scale around the shaft is still readable. If it is not, we add the matching dial ring to the order. Our bulletin on how to match the right knob explains why the pointer and the scale have to agree. A new knob over a worn scale only solves half the problem.
AM.CO.ZA's video of this printer shows a run of stickers with the film going through the laminating roller, which shows the work better than we can.
Consumables come from AM.CO.ZA too, ordered on BuyThis. We use FlexiFlow UV-DTF inks in cyan, magenta and the rest of the set, plus white, which keeps black and red scales sharp on a dark fascia. The film is the 300 mm UV-DTF roll. For daily care we keep printhead wet wipes and hybrid UV ink cleaner on the bench.
Switch plates and ID tags, laser-marked in aluminium
Some markings get more abuse than a decal should have to take. Think of a switch plate beside a chargrill, or a tag on a dishwasher that gets hosed down several times a day. For these we use an AM.CO.ZA LabelMark 30 W fibre laser marker (LLM-F30 on BuyThis).
The laser marks anodised aluminium blanks permanently. There is no ink to wear off and nothing for degreaser to dissolve. We cut and mark:
- replacement switch plates with clear 0/1 positions;
- equipment ID tags that carry a site's asset number and a matrix code linked to that unit's model details;
- part tags for our own shelves and for the parts we send out.
We mark the plates on AM.CO.ZA's silver and matte black anodised aluminium blanks. Silver gives a dark mark that reads well under kitchen lighting. On black blanks the mark comes out bright, which suits dark stainless and painted fronts.
The ID tags are the part we like most. Our bulletin on what a model plate tells you explains how much time a readable plate saves when you order a part. When a site's original plate has gone, a tag with the asset number and a scannable code gives our part identification team something solid to work from. When a kitchen opts in, the tags can be fixed during onsite parts support visits.
AM.CO.ZA's laser marker guide and their page on what people mark helped us choose the power and lens size. We started with no laser experience, so their straight answer to whether it is hard to learn helped too.
How it reaches your kitchen
There is no new way to order. Send us the model details or a photo, as you would for any part, and our part match help page explains what to send. If the scale or switch markings in your photo are worn, we will add the matching decal or plate to your quote. They go in the same box from Midrand, with our normal delivery. Decals and plates are priced per job, so ask for a quote with your parts order.
One tip: before you fit a decal, clean the panel and isolate the unit the same way you would for any panel work. Our control panel safety bulletin explains how.
Why we went to AM.CO.ZA
Service. AM.CO.ZA's Johannesburg branch is a short drive from Midrand, and we watched both machines working there before we committed. They also have branches in Cape Town and a new showroom in Durban, which our Durban depot customers like. When we have a question we message their WhatsApp line on 060 600 6000, and technical questions are passed to a technician. Manuals and how-to videos are on machinery.support.
Best price. We buy both machines and every consumable from one supplier, so we get one quote and one delivery. Reordering ink or blanks on BuyThis takes a few minutes, the same way our own customers order from us.
Quality. The decals are sharp at small sizes and stand up to daily wiping, and the laser marks do not fade. For an outside view, AM.CO.ZA publishes its customer reviews. Their buyer's guide explains each machine family in plain language, including UV printers.
Learning the new kit
Our team trained on both machines at handover. We then studied colour consistency through the ICC profiles course online at Ambitious Academy, because a red heat zone on a decal needs to look the same red every time we print it. The Academy also runs practical classes and works with TVET colleges, including South West Gauteng TVET College. That matters to us, because the trade needs more young technicians who can handle a meter, a spanner and a machine.
Half the call-outs we see for "wrong temperature" are really a worn scale. Now we can fix what the operator reads, not just what is behind the panel.
The FoodServ Parts Store team
If the markings on your ovens, fryers or dishwashers have worn off, send us a photo with your next parts order. And if you run a workshop and want to make markings like these yourself, have a look at AM.CO.ZA.
