Enclosures
High fidelity meets high-end enclosure technology
In cooperation with BOPLA, Germany-based Tegeler Audio Manufaktur has optimised the enclosure technology of its professional recording studio equipment. Marco van der Linden, general sales & marketing manager at BOPLA UK & Ireland, explains more.
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n its search for perfect sound reproduction Tegeler Audio Manufaktur uses the highest quality components in the manufacture of its high-end recording studio equipment – down to the smallest detail. To optimise the enclosure technology of its “Crème” bus compressor and mastering equaliser, the company now relies on the expertise of BOPLA Gehäuse Systeme GmbH. The enclosure technology specialist has not only developed an optimal solution for the realisation of visually appealing and robust front panels, but also supplies completely assembled products from a single source - from electronics integration to calibration of the finished devices and logistics. This holistic approach not only improves product quality, but also opens up growth opportunities for Berliner Audio Manufaktur.
Background
Tegeler Audio Manufaktur, located in the north of Berlin, Germany, produces premium quality recording studio equipment. They ensure 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,” says Martin Kathke, deputy managing director of Tegeler Audio Manufaktur.
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
14 July/August 2025
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. “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 performance, so the product must also be very robust to survive transportation.
Sophisticated digital printing on aluminium plates
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
Components in Electronics
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.
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 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 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 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,” says 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 distinctive problem-solving competence in combination with skilled designers in BOPLA has been decisive in continuing the 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.
http://www.bopla-enclosures.co.uk www.cieonline.co.uk
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