Industrial marking of parts is a common practice in machine shops and other manufacturing industries. Producers can use it to add the manufacturer’s mark for the purpose of alignment or assembly, bar code for inventory purposes, serial number for traceability, and part number for identification. Industrial marking can also add an aesthetic touch to the material that is being marked.
Due to the various applications of industrial marking, there are several marking methods you can choose from. We will give you a break down of the more common methods that you can use for periods when you have both low and high volume of work.
Types of Industrial Marking
The following are types of industrial marking:
1. Hand Stamping
This is a very common method for low volume marking. It is common among artists, craftsmen, and hobbyists. All you need is a hammer and a hand stamp. This method has no entry barrier and low upfront cost.
Hand stamping is an excellent choice if you just need simple marking details on an object. But it may not be ideal if you need to change certain data, or if the materials that you want to mark are plastic or glass. Also, you cannot use it if the work volume ranges from medium to high.
Additionally, this method is simple and cost-effective. You can use it anywhere and you do not need any form of special training to know how to use it. Hand stamping is quite common especially in maintenance shops and tool-and-die outfits where you can commonly find one-off parts.
2. Hot Stamping
This is another ideal method for low operation volume. It also has a low entry barrier. You only need to have a press, a type of marking ink or logo die, and a foil for color, which is optional. You can use hot stamping to mark images, monograms, and alphanumeric texts onto a variety of materials such as ribbons, leather, and clothes. Although other stamping methods may have trouble with these materials, you can easily mark them with hot stamping.
Additionally, this method has some benefits. First, it is quite easy to apply. You have to place the substrate correctly, while the press does the real marking work. Second, it allows you to customize an object to a large extent. This is due to the fact that the logo dies can be easily tailored to suit your personal requirement.
3. Branding
Branding is quite similar to the hot stamping method. However, in this case, a branding iron marks the materials, except the material is glass or metal. You can customize the marking and no complex setup is required. Branding irons are available as portable handheld units or in a drilling press setup that uses customized engraved bronze dies.
4. Presses
When you have to do high volume operations, the first type of marking method to use will be impact press. You can find presses in different sizes and you can integrate them into a line of production. Also, presses are mostly used for marking information that can be used to trace parts. But you can also use them to crimp, rivet, stake, and more.
You can read more about the types of presses in this article.
Furthermore, when you need multiple copy lines for part marking, you can use customized shank stamps and steel type holders that are interchangeable. You can also use numbering heads when you need to mark serial numbers on parts. And pneumatic controls are available for this kind of marking.
5. Printing with Inkjet Printer
Many marking needs are fulfilled with the use of inkjet printers. There are small, handheld types that you can use to mark on the go when you are in the field. There are also industrial inkjet printers that you can find in beverage, food, and pharmaceutical industries.
6. Dot Peen
Dot peen is another marking technique that you can use for high volume operations. The dot peen marking machine marks logos, alphanumeric characters, 2D bar codes for data matrix, and other precision, low stress dotting patterns.
Sometimes, people refer to dot peening as pin stamp marking. The marking machine’s abilities range from ordinary nameplate requirements to total integrated solutions for inline marking components.
You may read more about dot peening here: https://www.pannier.com/stamping/dot-peen/what-is-dot-peen-marking/
Conclusion
Marking of parts can be done in different ways as we have discussed in this article. And the method of marking that you choose is dependent on the production environment, the function of the part, and the volume of parts you have to mark.