FEATURE
ENCLOSURES
HIGH FIDELITY MEETS HIGH-END ENCLOSURE TECHNOLOGY
supply everything from a single source – from printing on the front panel to complete product manufacture and assembly,” explains Albertus. This is the case with the ‘Crème’: For the product, the printed circuit board with the individual electronic components is equipped via a placement machine specifically according to Tegeler specifications. A high degree of reliability is important to Tegeler here, as the devices only develop their full performance if the specified components are installed exactly. After the electronics integration, the final
To optimise the enclosure technology of its ‘Crème’ bus compressor and mastering
equaliser, Tegeler Audio Manufaktur relies on the expertise of BOPLA Gehäuse Systeme. Marco van der Linden - general sales & marketing manager, BOPLA UK & Ireland, explains
T
egeler Audio Manufaktur, located in the North of Berlin, produces premium quality recording studio equipment. The company
ensures that perfect sound is produced from the raw output signal of microphones by focusing on sonic characteristics and musicality. The products are handcrafted systems consisting of high- quality components selected according to the respective application requirements. For many years the company has been selling
compressors, equalisers, mixers and channel strips for use in professional recording studios and at home. “Our devices are primarily intended to enable sound engineers and musicians to realise their sound ideas,” explains Martin Kathke, deputy managing director.
THE PRODUCTS Product development is continuous, as the example of the bus compressor and mastering equaliser ‘Crème’ illustrates. In 2018, Tegeler put the enclosure technology and especially the front panels to the test. “We were not fully satisfied with our existing solution and also relied on film printing on the front panel of the devices, which did not match the product in terms of quality,” says Kathke. The high-end products must not only be visually appealing, but also absolutely flawless, free of even minimal scratches or other damage, according to the deputy managing director. What other enclosure manufacturers
considered unavoidable, BOPLA took seriously and was therefore awarded the contract. “BOPLA was the only company to contribute its own ideas for the redesign of the front panel and delivered exactly the quality we expected in terms of the entire enclosure technology,” emphasises Kathke.
The ‘crème’ can be used as a tabletop device
or for insertion into racks and is often used in live performances, so the product must also be very robust to survive transportation.
SOPHISTICATED DIGITAL PRINTING The result of the development process for the ‘Crème’ is a two-part steel enclosure that is manufactured in the stamping/sheet metal bending process with black powder coating. The front panel consists of a CNC-milled aluminium plate that is coloured in an anodized bath. The back of the device is then screen-printed. One of the core requirements of Tegeler Audio was to realise a high-quality colour print with gradients directly on the black-anodized front panel, which is particularly durable. “The challenge was therefore to precisely
coordinate the printing process, material and ink in order to ensure the desired appearance and surface quality,” says René Albertus, area sales manager at BOPLA. Due to the demanding colour gradients, pad and screen printing were ruled out due to the use of RAL inks. After extensive consultation and sampling by BOPLA, the decision was made to use digital printing. Having met the customer’s requirements, follow- on orders and expansion of the cooperation between the two companies continues.
BOX-BUILD Today, BOPLA supplies the front panels for a total of eight products from the Tegeler Audio Manufaktur – together with the complete product box build. “This is exactly where the added value for Tegeler lies. In contrast to the competition, we can
22 DESIGN SOLUTIONS JULY/AUGUST 2025
assembly and marriage of the enclosure to the front panel follows. This includes the assembly of the internal wiring, the insertion of the switches and the display. BOPLA also carries out the initial commissioning, the testing of voltages and the calibration of the analogue technology using a test signal. “We have built up the appropriate test capacities for this process internally specifically for Tegeler,” says Albertus. The finished end product is fixed with foam and placed in a wooden packaging specially made for these devices – BOPLA takes care of the entire logistics chain.
GROWTH THANKS TO EXPERTISE Tegeler Audio Manufaktur benefits from this holistic approach in the expansion of its business. “BOPLA makes growth much easier for us. As a relatively small company based in Berlin it is very difficult to expand locally. Partnering with BOPLA allows us to scale up together in a targeted manner by handing over the production of entire groups of devices,” comments Kathke. The potential for optimising products continues
to be actively explored. Currently, both are working on the use of an ink specifically tailored to the product for even more scratch resistance on the front panels. According to Tegeler, this problem-solving competence in combination with skilled designers in BOPLA has been decisive in continuing the cooperation. “In my opinion, it is unique in the industry that you have a partner who works with us on the problems, is willing to learn and gets the most out of it for us,” adds Kathke. This appreciation is based on reciprocity, Albertus emphasises. “Despite the relatively young cooperation, Tegeler Audio Manufaktur has quickly become an important customer with whom we greatly appreciate the goal- oriented cooperation.” The partnership between the companies is
therefore being expanded. This includes not only larger follow-up orders, but also the construction of further devices by BOPLA – for example, the ‘Crème RC’, an extended version of the bus compressor and mastering equalizer.
BOPLA
www.bopla.co.uk enclosuresales@pmgb.co.uk T: 01296 611660
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