A belt plate is a piece of metal with a design that stands up from its surface. Across the trade there are three common ways to put a design into metal: etching, CNC machining and casting. At MS Belts the plates are cut and engraved to the design, then finished by hand in our workshop. Our product listings describe them as CNC-machined. Whichever words you meet, the point to check is simple: the design should be shaped in real metal, with depth you can feel. It should not be printed on.
The three methods side by side
These are general descriptions of how metal plates are made. They explain words you will meet when you compare belts. Our own workshop is described further down.
| Method | How it works | Suits | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical etching | The parts of the design that should stay raised are covered with a protective coating called a resist. A chemical bath, often an acid, then removes the exposed metal around them, which creates depth. | Flat plates with fine lines and lettering. | The depth tends to come in flat levels, like steps, not in rounded shapes. |
| CNC machining | CNC stands for computer numerical control. A computer-guided cutter follows the design file and removes metal from a solid plate. | Single belts and custom designs, because no mould is needed. | Each plate is cut one at a time. How deep the cutter can go depends on how thick the plate is. |
| Die casting | Molten metal is injected into a steel mould. It cools and comes out already shaped. | Many copies of one design. | The mould has to be made first. That is economical only when a design is repeated. |
Four words that come up
- Plate: the metal part of a belt. A belt usually has one large centre plate and smaller side plates.
- Relief: the difference in height between the raised and the recessed parts of a design. Deeper relief casts stronger shadows.
- Engraving: cutting lines, lettering or detail into the metal surface.
- Electroplating: placing a plate in a liquid bath and using an electric current to coat it with a thin layer of another metal, such as gold.
What we do at MS Belts
Our plates are cut and engraved to the design, then finished by hand. Our product listings use the word CNC-machined. The table above explains what that term means in general.
Each belt goes through 7 or 8 production phases, depending on the build. The build is the set of options you choose: the metal, the thickness and the plating.
The work is done in our workshop in Pakistan. The workshop has been making belts for over a decade. The artisans at each step come from families that have done this kind of work for generations.
We do not publish machine names or accuracy figures. If you need to know how a particular design will be made, ask when you request a quote. We confirm it in writing for your order.
What does finished by hand mean?
In metalwork generally, hand finishing covers jobs such as smoothing edges and surfaces after the plate has been shaped. We do not publish a list of the hand-finishing jobs for each belt.
How your options change the plate
The method is only part of the story. Three options change what the plate is made of and how it looks.
- Metal. Zinc alloy is the standard plate metal. An alloy is a mix of metals. Brass is an upgrade at +$100 on the listed price. In general, brass is denser, heavier and harder than zinc alloy and costs more. Zinc alloy is lighter, more affordable and takes plating well. See zinc alloy or brass.
- Thickness. Plates are 2 mm thick as standard. You can upgrade to 4 mm, 6 mm or 8 mm at +$40 per step, so an 8 mm plate adds $120 to the listed price. Thicker plates allow deeper relief and weigh more. See plate thickness explained.
- Plating. 24K gold electroplating is optional. It is a thin layer of real gold on the surface of the plate. The belt is not solid gold. The price difference between plated and unplated is $70. See gold plating explained.
We do not quote belt weights here. If weight matters to you, ask and we confirm it in writing for your order.
Is this the same as a printed belt?
No. Some belts on the market use a flat sheet with the design printed on it, or plastic plates coloured to look like metal. A printed design has no relief. Run a finger across it and it feels flat.
An engraved metal plate has edges you can feel and shadows that move as you tilt it. Thickness matters for the same reason: a thicker plate leaves room for deeper relief.
Why does my artwork matter?
Whichever method is used, the tool follows the artwork. Clean, bold artwork gives a clean plate. Very thin lines and very small lettering are harder to hold in metal than they are on a screen.
We do not publish minimum sizes. Send what you have and we confirm in writing what will work for your design. The guide to preparing your logo and artwork explains what to send.
In short
- Etching uses a chemical bath, CNC machining uses a computer-guided cutter and casting uses a mould. All three shape real metal.
- MS Belts plates are cut and engraved to the design, then finished by hand in our workshop.
- Metal, thickness and plating are your choices. Brass is +$100, each thickness step is +$40 and gold plating is a $70 difference.
- If a detail of how your belt is made matters to you, ask. We confirm it in writing for your order.
Next step
Every belt is made to order. If you have a design in mind, send it through the custom belt quote page. Tell us the metal, thickness and plating you are considering, and we reply by email with a quote.
