As a side panel supplier, I get this question at least three times a week—sometimes from small business owners tweaking a retail pop-up, sometimes from engineers at a mid-sized manufacturing firm looking to upgrade their assembly line, and just last week from a designer at a museum planning an interactive digital exhibit. The short answer is: Yes, you absolutely can add animations to side panels. The longer, more practical answer? It depends on what kind of animation you need, what the side panel is made of, and what purpose the final product serves. Over the last eight years I’ve been working with custom side panels, I’ve walked clients through projects ranging from simple printed vinyl with UV reactive animation to motorized metal side panels that tilt and shift on command, and I’ve learned that the best animations aren’t just flashy—they solve a problem or improve a product’s function. Side Panel
Let’s start with the basics, because not all side panels are created equal, and the material you choose will dictate what animations are even possible. My company works with three core side panel materials, and each has its own set of animation-friendly options. The first is rigid aluminum, which is the most popular for industrial use, like equipment side panels or vehicle side panels. Aluminum is strong, resistant to heat and rust, and can be cut, drilled, and fitted with small motors or LED mounts without cracking or warping. The second is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a lightweight plastic used for retail displays, furniture side panels, and portable equipment. HDPE is flexible enough for minor bends but rigid enough to hold shapes, and it works well with adhesive-mounted LED strips or screen inserts. The third is tempered glass, often used for sleek, modern retail kiosks or high-end digital displays; glass is perfect for backlit animations, but it’s less forgiving if you’re installing moving parts, so that’s a key consideration.
I once had a client who made agricultural tractors come to me because they wanted to add animations to the side panels of their new sprayer line. Their old panels were plain, and operators often missed critical warning alerts because they didn’t glance at the small dashboard screens. They wanted the side panel animations to act as a secondary alert: when the sprayer’s fluid level dropped, a small section of the side panel would light up and pulse red, and if the spray head became clogged, the panel’s small integrated motor would tilt a clear section of the panel to reveal a tiny LED display with error codes. We used rigid aluminum for the side panels, since tractors operate in dusty, muddy conditions, and worked with an electrical engineering partner to mount low-power stepper motors and sealed LED strips inside the panel frame. The animations weren’t just decorative—they cut operator response time for alerts by 40%, according to the client’s post-launch testing. That’s the kind of animation that adds real value, not just flair.
For smaller, less industrial projects, like retail display side panels, the options are even more flexible. I had a local gift shop owner reach out a couple of years ago, wanting to add animations to the side panels of their new seasonal pop-up stand for holiday decor. They didn’t need motorized moving parts—they wanted animations that would draw customers’ eyes to new displays. We went with HDPE side panels because they were lightweight and easy to assemble and disassemble for storage. We worked with a graphic designer to create printed vinyl overlays that were UV-reactive, meaning they changed color when exposed to warm LED light. The animations here were subtle: a side panel with a graphic of a Christmas tree would shift from green to gold when the pop-up’s interior lights turned on, and another panel with a snowman would have small LED dots that blinked in a pattern every 10 seconds to highlight the shop’s new toy line. That project was a hit— the shop told me their foot traffic in the first month was 25% higher than the previous year’s pop-up, and customers frequently mentioned the “magical” side panels as the main reason they stopped in.
If you’re looking for more complex animations, like dynamic scrolling text or interactive elements, tempered glass side panels are your best bet. I recently worked with a museum that wanted side panels for their new ancient Egyptian exhibit. The panels were part of a series of interactive kiosks that let visitors learn about different artifacts. We used thin, clear tempered glass for the side panels, mounted a small e-ink display behind the glass, and programmed the animation to show a hieroglyph that would scroll to reveal its translation when a visitor touched the top of the panel. We had to be careful here—tempered glass is fragile, so we used a thin, shatter-resistant coating on the outside, and the display was sealed inside the panel frame to protect it from museum visitors’ curious hands. The animations were interactive, educational, and didn’t require any moving parts, making them durable enough for a high-traffic exhibit.
But here’s the thing I always tell clients: before you get too excited about adding animations, you need to define what the animation is supposed to do. A common mistake I see is clients wanting flashy animations just because they’re trendy, not because they solve a problem. I once had a startup come to me wanting motorized side panels for their new portable blender line. They wanted the panels to spin and change color while the blender was running, to make it look more “techy.” We discussed the practicality: the panels would be exposed to smoothie spills, sticky fingers, and daily wear and tear, and motorized parts would increase the cost and risk of breakdowns. Instead, we suggested printed vinyl animations that would shift color when the blender’s motor vibrated—so when the blender was turned on, a small section of the side panel would glow blue, and when it was at high speed, the glow would pulse faster. It was the same kind of animation the client wanted, but without the fragile motorized parts, and it cost half as much. The startup launched that design, and it’s been their best-selling blender line for three years now.
Another key consideration is durability, especially for side panels that are used in industrial, commercial, or high-traffic settings. If your side panel is on a piece of equipment that gets used 10 hours a day, every day, a motorized animation might not hold up over time. Motors can burn out, gears can get stuck, wiring can become loose if the panel is exposed to vibration. On the other hand, if your side panel is in a low-traffic, controlled environment like a museum or a retail pop-up, a motorized or interactive animation is totally feasible. When I work with clients on custom side panels, I always include durability testing as part of the process. For motorized panels, we test the motor for 10,000 operating cycles to make sure it won’t burn out, and for backlit panels, we test the LED strips to make sure they won’t fade after two years of exposure to sunlight.
Power is another factor that often gets overlooked. If your animation requires LED lights, motors, or displays, you need to have a power source that’s easy to access and reliable. For industrial side panels, we usually run low-voltage wiring through the panel frame to connect to the equipment’s existing power supply. For portable displays, we use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that can last 8 to 12 hours on a single charge, which is enough for a full day of retail pop-up or trade show use. We always make sure the power source is hidden inside the panel frame so it doesn’t affect the panel’s look, and we include a simple charging port that’s easy to access for maintenance.
I also want to address a common concern: can you add animations to existing side panels, or do you need to order custom ones? The answer is, you can usually add simple animations to existing panels, but complex motorized or interactive animations require custom panels. If you have an existing side panel made of HDPE or aluminum, you can easily add adhesive LED strips or printed vinyl overlays with reactive designs, no custom work needed. For example, if you have a retail display side panel that’s plain white, you can buy battery-powered LED strips and adhesive vinyl decals from any craft store, stick them to the panel, and create a simple blinking or pulsing animation in an hour. But if you want to install a motorized tilt mechanism or a digital display behind a side panel, you’ll need to order a custom panel that has a frame designed to hold those parts, with pre-cut holes for wiring and mounting. That’s where working with a side panel supplier comes in—we can make the necessary modifications to the panel without compromising its structural integrity.
I’ve also worked with clients who wanted animations for side panels that are part of architectural elements, like wall panels in office buildings or restaurants. A few months ago, I worked with a boutique coffee shop that wanted side panels for their counter that would animate based on customer order volume. We used custom HDPE side panels, mounted small LED strips behind them, and connected the system to the shop’s point-of-sale software. When a customer ordered a latte, a small section of the side panel would light up warm brown, and when they ordered an iced drink, it would light up light blue. The animation was subtle, but it added a fun, interactive touch that made customers feel like they were part of the shop’s process. The best part? It didn’t require any moving parts, and we built the panels to withstand coffee spills and daily cleaning, so they’ve held up perfectly for over a year.
Now, if you’re thinking about adding animations to your side panels, the first step is to figure out your needs. Ask yourself: where will the side panel be used? Is it in an industrial setting, a retail store, a museum, or a home? How often will it be used? Do you need the animation to serve a functional purpose, like alerting operators to equipment issues, or is it just for aesthetics and drawing attention? What’s your budget? All of these questions will help you decide what kind of animation is right for you, and whether you need a custom panel or a simple modification to an existing one.
At the end of the day, adding animations to side panels is not just a trend—it’s a way to make products more functional, displays more engaging, and spaces more interactive. Whether you need a simple LED pulsing light for a retail display, a motorized tilt mechanism for industrial equipment, or an interactive digital display for a museum, it’s totally possible to add animations that fit your needs. If you’re ready to take the next step, whether you’re a small business owner looking to upgrade a pop-up or a large manufacturer planning a new product line, I’d be happy to discuss your project and walk you through the options for custom animations and side panels. Get in touch to start the conversation about your next project.
ATCA Chassis References:
- Industrial Designers Society of America. (2022). "Functional Aesthetics: Balancing Animation and Utility in Product Design". IDSA Journal of Product Innovation.
- National Retail Federation. (2023). "Interactive In-Store Displays: Impact on Customer Foot Traffic and Engagement". NRF Retail Technology Report.
- ASTM International. (2021). "Standard Guide for Durability Testing of Plastic and Metal Panels for Commercial and Industrial Use". ASTM D7031-21.
- International Council of Museums. (2022). "Interactive Exhibit Design Guidelines for Museum Kiosks and Displays". ICOM Museum Professional Series.
- Consumer Technology Association. (2023). "Low-Power Power Sources for Portable Electronic Displays". CTA Technology and Standards Report.
Huizhou Lintai Industrial Co., Ltd.
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