We recently received a request from a customer in need of a machine for date coding film negative. Date codes are a series of symbols on the edge of film which determine the date the film was slit. Stamping date codes on this fragile material is a process that requires special equipment, so we set out to create a customized marking machine that would fulfill our customer’s needs.
Before we started creating the machine and providing a quote, we tested various processes to see which would work best. Our customer’s existing process used heat for date coding film negative. They submitted samples and we stamped without heat to see if the material would crack or break under pressure. The material allowed a legible impression with no distortion to the negative, so we began considering which machine would be best for the marking process.
To create a machine that would work well for date coding film negative, we used a Model 136A press with a Model 70P numbering head and a special fixture that cycles the press when the part is in position.
At Numberall Stamp & Tool Co. we manufacture a variety of economical bench-top presses, which save valuable floor space and keeps larger presses free for other work. The Model 136A, an air-operated machine, is one such press. It is compact, easily mounted on a workbench, and is generally used for marking name plates and other flat objects.
Our film customer wanted the operator of this machine to simply place the product into the machine and have it cycle once in place. Because the negative would always be the same thickness, the location of the date code would always be in the same location. Once set up, the operator would never have to make an adjustment, allowing for efficient marking and a simple process.
As it is, the Model 136A is a pneumatic machine, which means that it is operated by air pressure. We didn’t want to use electric switches to start the machine because it would make the design more complex. Instead, pneumatic gap sensors determine when the part is in position and a pneumatic logic design with amplifiers and valves receives a signal from the gap sensors, which actuates the machine cycle. It’s a simple process that requires little work on the part of the operator.
To ensure that the process would remain effortless for the operator, we used a Model 70P numbering head. Adaptable and versatile, this is ideal for stamping repetitive sequences with consistently uniform character alignment and impression depth – a perfect fit for this process. The same character sequence is retained after each impression is made, unless changed by the operator. This makes the Model 70P ideal for marking metal parts for machinery, name tags, electronic circuit boards and parts, keys, food packaging, cardboard boxes, plastic parts, and now date coding film negative!
We’ve just finished manufacturing this customized marking machine for film, and like all our equipment we made it right here in the USA and guarantee that it will last. At Numberall Stamp & Tool Co., we may not have exactly what you need right away, but we’ll go above and beyond to ensure you have a machine that does exactly what you need it to.
