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Marking Systems Ensure Accuracy and Traceability in Metalworking
Marking systems provide precision and permanence when marking a variety of materials and the surfaces of parts of all sizes. The post Marking Systems Ensure Accuracy and Traceability in Metalworking appeared first on Fabricating & Metalworking.
Marking systems used in metalworking, such as laser marking, allow your operation to mark parts with speed, cleanliness, and robustness. These permanent markings provide secure product identification for tracking and traceability across industries, ensuring operator safety and minimizing environmental contamination.
Innovative Laser Marking Capabilities
AMADA WELD TECH’s (Puchheim, Germany) Laser Marking solutions offer fast and clean permanent marking of metal surfaces during manufacturing, utilizing the intense heat of a highly focused laser beam to permanently modify the surface of the material being marked. AMADA’s intuitive Windows-based software facilitates this process, allowing for the creation of text, graphics, logos, barcodes, and data matrix codes. Automation features further enhance functionality enabling part serialization, date coding, variable text inputs, remote programming, I/O control, and more.
AMADA offers a comprehensive range of turnkey semi-automated Laser Marking systems, providing swift concept realization in production solutions. The key benefits of these systems include compatibility with most materials. Contactless marking is both cost effective as well as permanent. Corrosion-resistant, and scratch-resistant marks are achieved using the standard software, which supports a wide array of fonts and barcode formats, while enabling the import of vector and graphic files.
Laser Marking helps meet the growing demand for permanent identification of products, which enables tracking and traceability across industries, from medical devices to automotive to electronics manufacturing.
Two products from the Laser Marking solution lineup include the Laser Marking Workstation (WL-100A) and the Fiber Laser Marker (LM-F100A). The workstations offer highly configurable, compact units designed for lean manufacturing. The Fiber Laser Markers excel in high-speed marking, engraving, etching, ablation, and annealing, providing high-contrast marks on multiple materials with user-configurable options for optimized production.
Laser Workstation for Large Part Direct Marking
Gravotech Inc. (Duluth, GA) has released the LW3, a Class 1 laser enclosure for large direct part marking. This solution enables your shop to implement laser part traceability in your production. Through its design, the LW3 naturally encloses the laser marking head and the part being marked. The metal panels and laser resistant viewing window ensure the protection of the employee from the laser beam radiation.
While the laser marking takes place, tubing extracts the particles and fumes emitted during the marking process to a highly efficient exhaust system, preventing dust buildup within the enclosure, propagation into the workspace and risk for the operator. Thanks to its Class 1 laser security certification (door closed), the operator and working area are totally safe.
The marking job is programmed in the Lasertrace software, then sent to the machine so the operator only needs to press “start” on the touchscreen to execute the marking. Several accessories are compatible with the new laser station, including rotary devices, a 3D module, validation cameras, exhaust systems, Class 4 override, etc. The latter allows the LW3 to mark parts bigger than the enclosure itself, increasing the maximum part size even more. It can hold parts up to 1100-x-750-x-628 mm. A Class 4 override accessory enables the trained user to switch from Class 1 to Class 4 laser marking.
Furthermore, it’s possible to inscribe multiple identifiers on the parts thanks to the Z axis, or ZX bridge configurations:
- The LW3 with Z axis allows the laser marking head to move up or down (Z axis), for multi-level marking.
- The LW3 with ZX bridge allows the laser head to move up, down, and along the length of the machine (X axis) for multiple markings of long parts, or a set of medium-sized ones.
Efficient and Reliable Tag Marking
The Kwik Mark Inc. (McHenry, IL) Tag Master 3, engineered and manufactured in the USA, combines cutting-edge dot peen technology to deliver permanent, high-quality markings on industrial components. Designed as a fully automatic feeder and marker, the Tag Master 3 significantly enhances production efficiency by addressing common tag feeding challenges, such as tags escaping from the bottom of the magazine.
Unlike traditional bottom-feed systems, which often lead to jamming, scratching, and other operational issues, the Tag Master 3 utilizes a top-feed design that ensures smooth and reliable operation. This innovative approach eliminates concerns about thickness variations, sharp edges, and other obstacles, providing consistent performance even with the most challenging tags.
Equipped with a user-friendly, intuitive display, the system offers essential features like a batch counter, cycle timer, real-time status updates, production history log, and percentage of completion details —empowering operators with all the information needed to manage and track the marking process effectively.
Many Options with Desktop Laser Engraving System
The Cobalt Dominator from Laser Marking Technologies LLC (Caro, MI) is the industry-leading desktop laser engraving system on the market. There are many available options for this stainless steel laser engraving machine. Some of the options on this fiber laser marking machine include an automatic Z-axis, a rotary axis, a conveyor, a turntable, an auto door and more. Key features include easy to use automation features and high speed galvo steering.
In addition, this stainless steel laser engraving machine also has removable side and bottom panels for larger part marking.
Tools Mark Workpieces in Seconds
Platinum Tooling Technologies, Inc. (Prospect Heights, IL) is the North American importer of the QUICK® knurling and marking tools from Hommel & Keller. QUICK marking tools make it possible to mark workpieces in seconds on a variety of surfaces and part geometries. Through single marking segments, the text can be individually customized. The marking tools are available in two diameters for interchangeable lettering, as well as custom logos.
Battery Operated, Hand-held Marking System
The handheld FlyMarker® mini 85/45 plus is a 100% portable, battery-operated dot peen marker boasting a large marking area of 85-x-45 mm, and is lightweight at less than 7 lbs. This newest evolution of the FlyMarker mini lineup is built for rapid marking anywhere a permanent mark is needed. This device from Markator is offered by Rocklin Manufacturing (Sioux City, IA).
The marking force can be adjusted directly on the unit to accommodate materials ranging from plastics to aluminum to hardened steel (up to 63 HRC). The unit can also be equipped with an extra strong magnet for deeper markings and visibility after various metal treatments.
In addition to marking characters and numbers, options include company logos, test symbols, or Data Matrix Codes. And, due to its automatic height compensation feature up to 5 mm in variability, the user is guaranteed a constant marking result on round or uneven surfaces. Marking files can be typed in easily through the dirt-resistant keyboard on the all-in-one unit, with internal memory storage for several hundred marking files. Alternatively, files can be transferred via the embedded USB interfaces.
The high-quality linear guides moving in X- and Y-directions ensure constant marking depth throughout the marking area. Moreover, the fiberglass-reinforced, break-resistant housing ensures durability in rough environments.
Each FlyMarker mini comes with two long-lasting, lithium-ion batteries which enable full mobility and constant marking without interruption. Tripping hazards from power cords or cables are eliminated as are safety issues that can occur during hand stamping and other manual marking processes.
Several optional accessories are available, including a column frame for rapid conversion to a tabletop unit and an integrated barcode scanner mounted directly on the unit, among others.
Innovative Integrated Marking Solution
As an expert in permanent marking equipment, Technomark North America (Conroe, TX) is the only OEM of dot peen and laser marking systems with U.S. headquarters. Technomark is at the forefront of industrial marking innovation, developing machines for more than 20 years for seamless integration in manufacturing processes. The XS Inline from Technomark is the smallest integrated fiber laser marking head in the world at only 10”-x 2.9”-x-4.3” for its marking head. It’s very easy to integrate this Class 4 laser in every production line process. Easy-to-use software and enhanced performance are key to increasing your shop’s ability to trace products.
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