We often receive questions about different marking methods and why they’re effective. From hot stamping for branding products and ink marking, which sprays a stream of ink onto the product, to dot marking, a micro-percussion marking technology, there are multiple ways one can approach marking products; however, some methods are more effective than others.
While attending EASTEC 2017, the northeast’s premier manufacturing event, we received many questions about ink marking, which is a very fast marking method, but is also very messy. Its greatest downfall is something simple that many forget to consider when metal marking: it’s not permanent.
Ink marking has its uses in industrial capacities, but permanent identification is not one of them. If you need a mark to remain indelible throughout years of repeat use, ink marking is probably not the best option for your product. Ink marking can provide a quick and versatile option, but oftentimes indent marking is much more reliable and permanent.
Indenting into the material of your product will create a mark that will remain legible and secure in almost any situation. This aspect is important if you need to meet certain government or industry standards. For example, if you’re marking a gun receiver, vehicle identification numbers, safety devices, or medical devices, indent marking will create a permanent mark that will not fade with time and will adhere to marking standards for your product.
Even when legal requirements are not the issue, long term part traceability could be a necessity for your business. If you want your products to remain reliable and the numbers to remain legible, indent marking is a great choice over ink marking. Imagine a customer 20 years from now, trying to read a part number from a dirty, rusty car. The ink stamp would be long gone, where an indented number would still be legible.
In some situations, indent marking might even be faster than ink marking. On parts where the information will not change, you can mark your part as fast as your press can run. Even in instances where serializing is required, our Model 50 automatic head can run at very high cycle rates.
If you have more questions about indent marking and other potential marking methods, contact us for further assistance!
