Marking

Technologies

For

Industrial

Markets

About Matthews…

• Over 150 years in business

• Supplier of etching, indenting, contact printing, ink-jet printing and laser marking products

• Ink developer with ISO 9001 certification

• Industrial applications are our primary focus

Four reasons to mark

• Primary identification

• Traceability

• Compliance

• Operational

Primary identification

• Company name and

trademarks

• Part numbers

• Size

Traceability

• Serial numbers

• Time and date

stamps

• Batch codes

• Bar codes

Compliance

• Government control:

tax, country of origin

• Associations: glass,

steel, environmental

• Vendor specification:

automotive companies

• Bar codes for inventory

Operational marking

• Orientation or location

marks

• Inspection

• Color codes

• Instructional

• Bar codes to facilitate

automation

Methods of marking

• Printing

– Adds color and contrast using ink

• Indenting

– Most permanent by material displacement

• Etching

– Removes the surface

• Labeling/Tagging

– Attaches the mark to the product

Printing methods

Used when color or contrast is required

• Contact Printing (Uses dye and pigmented inks)

– Offset (glass, rubber hose, plastic profiles)

– Direct (metal sheet, flooring, plastic film)

– Reciprocating (packaging, autoparts, tires)

• Ink-Jet Printing– DOD, Drop-on-Demand (packaging, steel, lumber, plastic pipe)

– Impulse (packaging, light industry)

– CIJ, Continuous Ink-Jet (packaging, plastic pipe, steel, glass)

Contact printing

• Offset printing– Offset ink in an ink fountain is

picked up by a rotating ink roll. Before the ink is transferred to a type wheel, it is metered to a desired film thickness by a doctor blade. After the type wheel is inked, an impression of the legend is transferred to the blanket roll which marks the product.

• Direct printing– The characters or type wheel

comes in direct contact with the surface of the product being marked.

Contact printing benefits

• Pigmented inks fit a wide

variety of marking

applications

• Superior print quality

• Economical, reliable

operation

• In-line and stand alone

applications

Ink-Jet printing

• Drop-on-demand– A column of ink droplets are fired together to

form a printed character while the substrate moves.

• Impulse– A series of 32 openings/nozzles in the

printhead are channeled into 96-352 holes. Using sound waves, the ink is moved from openings to the product. No pressurized ink system or mechanical valves are used to move the ink to the product.

• Continuous Ink-Jet– A single stream (continuous) of ink is

modulated or broken into droplets of ink. Each droplet is electronically charged and directed by a magnetic field to form into characters as it is sprayed onto a moving substrate.

Ink-Jet printing benefits

• Fast message changeover

• High speed marking

• Reliable, simple operation

• Uneven surface marking ok

• High-quality printing of text and logos

Indenting Methods

Used when permanence is a must!

Especially for the tools and transportation industries.

• Hand marking

– Inspection marking, portable method

• In-line systems-example: packaging type

– Part of the fabrication and forging process

• Impact press

– Stand alone or in-line, with same legend

• Rollmarking

– Stand alone method providing deep marks

• Stylus

– Versatile, variable text and character size

– Low stress method, can be automated

– Marks harder materials (50 RC)

Indenting Benefits

• Permanent product

identification on a wide

range of materials

• Simple, reliable marking

method

• Accommodates a variety of

product shapes and sizes

• Easy operation & minimal

maintenance

Etching methods

Used on glass & polished metal products.

• Acid Etching– Polished metal, inspection only-applied

with a vinyl inspection stamp.

• Airgrit® Dry Etching– Automotive, flat glass, lenses-also works

on polished metals as an alternative to

electro-chemical etching.

• Laser Marking

– Packaging, automotive, metals,

plastics, offers variable text for

serializing.

Airgrit® Etching solutions

• Bench-Top models

• Under-Line table top

models

• Large, portable

models

Airgrit® Etching benefits

• High-quality frosted

impressions in a

fraction of a second

• Less than a penny per

mark

• Safe, permanent

identification without

acids or chemicals

• Easy operation and

minimal maintenance

Labeling & tagging

Used when it is not practical to mark the product itself.

• Label printer applicators– Packaging, multiple line legends

with UPC bar codes

• Embossed tags– Tire date codes, jet engine

re-builders, steel distribution

• Nameplates– Motors, fabricated

metal,machine builders

The best “method” for you

Consider these questions…

• What is the product you need to mark?

• What is the product’s size and shape?

• What is the material and hardness?

• What color?

The best “method” for you

Consider these questions…

• Surface condition?

• Temperature during marking?

• Environment the product will exist in?

• Usage of the marked product?

The best “method” for you

Consider these questions…

• How large or small do the marks need to be?

• How many lines of print do you require?

• What color should the mark be?

• How will the mark be read?

(bar code scanner, humans…)

The best “method” for you

Consider these questions…

• Production rate at which the productmust be marked?

• Is the product stopped or moving?

• How much space is available within your production line?

• What is the printer orientation?(over, under, side…)

Conclusions

There are 4 basic

reasons for marking:

• Primary identification

• Traceability

• Compliance

• Operational

There are 4 basic

methods of marking:

• Printing

• Indenting

• Etching/Laser

• Labeling/Tagging

Conclusions

Determine the best method for your application:

• Know your current process.

• What is your reason for marking?

• Consider productivity improvements. (automated

processes, improved mark legibility)

• Any room for lowering operating expenses, is this desired?

• Determine the usage of your product. (longevity of marks,

special ink requirements, outdoor storage, etc.)

• Seek advice from experts in the field of identification.

For additional information

Where to get additional information on this subject:

www.matthewsmarking.com

Visit our web site to view actual marking product

specifications and application information. Or,

download a copy of this presentation for future

reading and research on our Applications page!

An expert reference

At Matthews, we can be a single, global resource for all of your marking

and identification needs. With over 150 years of experience, no other

supplier can offer customers such extensive experience for marking and

coding solutions.

Ink-Jet Printing IndentingAirgrit® Etching Laser Marking Contact Printing

Call us today for a free evaluation of your

marking process at 412/665-2500!