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Part marking method

HiNi

Cast Iron
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Location
Southeast, USA
A customer's part marking is with a specific ink and catalyst, only.
Markings have 4 lines of text with up to 16 numbers per line.
For awhile we were using individual 3/16" rubber stamps and changing out the serial numbers, not very efficient easy to smear and it just looked unprofessional.
Next tried cutting a stencil with the laser marker, it looks good, but ties up the laser from its regular job.
I tried a hobby vinyl cutter machine and the letters are too small for the unit to be useful.

Kind of at a loss to solve this, I have not found anything in my searches that looks promising.

Anyone have a solution I could look at, must use the specified ink and catalyst.
 
Sounds like a job for inkjet to me. If that’s not in the budget then I’d stamp it like you were. If they aren’t complaining then who cares how it looks.
 
Yes inkjet if you could. I've seen these machines at laboratory automation conferences for marking tubes and they are just excellent. I imagine the cheapest serious ones are several grand but if you had enough parts it would be worth it.
 
Laser to etch the part, squeegee the paint over the surface, paint only stays in etched area.
 
We have a videojet here for marking, it's expensive but works.

You can also send the stamp out to be made. Usually a 3-4 day turn around.
 
I've got a bunch of used Videojet printers for sale, models 1210 for 2000.00 and 1220 for 1250.00 in the Los Angeles area.They would be awsum if your customer and Videojet could agree on a type of ink.
 
Thanks for the replies, had spoken with several inkjet distributors, our customer will not agree to the inkjet ink spec. The engineer who selected the current ink and catalyst called for in the prints, is no longer with the customers' company, no one wants to rock the boat.
 
Do you need letters smaller than 2mm height? There's a commercial vinyl cutter that's rated for 2mm letters, not too expensive, if that's of use to you. Let me know and I will dig up the reference.

Do you really need sequential serial numbers, or does a run of parts all have identical markings? If the latter, a "pad printer" might be worth looking at. Since the ink is catalyzed, you'd want to establish a procedure for thoroughly cleaning out any type of printer!
 
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Do you need letters smaller than 2mm height? There's a commercial vinyl cutter that's rated for 2mm letters, not too expensive, if that's of use to you. Let me know and I will dig up the reference.

Do you really need sequential serial numbers

Yes, please I would be interested in the 2mm rated vinyl cutting machine. Thank you.
Also, yes, must be serialized numbers.
 
I sent a reply direct, but for the forum:

P20 PrismCut

I received an ad for this machine a few weeks ago, so it was still fresh in my mind when the part marking question came up. There are two sizes, one for 15" wide vinyl or stencil material, and the other for 24" wide. Obviously, you'd want to cut multiple stencils at once.

I've got a Graphtec CD6000-40 so have no experience with the PrismCut, which is a new offering.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I have a bunch of new videojet cartridges I am looking to sell cheap if anyone ended up getting one of those machines.
 
I threw our sample marking video jet in the skip and got a laser, 100% improvement, fed up with ink, solvent, blue and black fingers, blocked jets etc, the laser not cheap was fast and automated simply with a little conveyor.
Mark
 








 
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