International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026
On this year’s International Day of Women & Girls in Science, WNP is proud to spotlight the science, engineering, and technology that goes into the production of our custom nameplates.
Our reputation for quality, precision, and reliability doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built every day with the help of women who apply physics, chemistry, and metallurgy to the work that keeps our customers’ products performing in the field. Here are a few examples:
The first are the estimators who are trained in the materials science concepts behind substrates (metals, polycarbonates, flexibles), adhesives, and related engineering concepts such as tolerances, durability, safety and environmental factors. These women have hands-on training in all of our processes, including anodizing, chemical etching, Metalphoto® and laser cutting/marking so they can expertly guide customers toward the best identification solution.
The science involved with the Metalphoto® process is chemistry in motion. Nameplates are created by the sealing of images into the pores of unsealed, light-sensitive aluminum. This is accomplished by a technician exposing the images via computer-to-plate (CTP) or by using a traditional light table. Next, she processes each sheet with developer and fixer before it is sealed in a boiling tank of water. In the photo, Katie is showing a sheet of developed Metalphoto® parts to a high school tour group.
In the fabrication department, many of our punch presses are operated by highly skilled women who run heavy, high‑tonnage machinery that die-cuts thousands of parts each week.
In the screen‑making department, our fabricator carefully measures the tension of the screens we build in‑house, so each job gets the right amount of ink. In the next step, she coats each screen with a light‑sensitive emulsion, which is what allows the laser to image the artwork.
Once the screens are ready, she passes them on to Kris, our surface print lead. Kris applies chemistry, material knowledge, and hands‑on testing to mix custom inks for each screen-print job.
These are just a few stories that reflect WNP’s support of Women & Girls in Science.
If you would like more information on our nameplate and label capabilities, please contact us here or upload a drawing for a free estimate here.