Marking Devices
Marking devices are a wide range of products used to create images, designs
and impressions on materials ranging from metal and glass to plastic and stone.
Marking devices can include presses, laser marking devices, nameplate presses,
stylus marking devices, roll or rotary marking devices, hot-stamping machines,
and plasma etching machinery. Chemical marking and inkjet devices are also
available.
Presses use air to rapidly move a ram, where hydraulic pressure slowly squeezes
an impression into a part. Laser marking devices use a variety of laser wavelengths
to inscribe designs on a number of materials or parts. Nameplate presses may
be operated manually or mechanically and use pressure to produce a stamped
design on a plate. Stylus marking devices are those in which a number of stylus "heads" rapidly
punch a design into a part. Hot-stamping devices apply a colored foil or multi-colored
image through a hot die. Plasma etching devices use a high-speed stream of
plasma which is shot in pulses at a metal. Chemical marking devices use electrolytes
which react with certain metals to create a flat image on the metal's
surface. Inkjet devices spray ink onto the surface of a product, marking it
with barcodes, labels, and any other design that may be needed.
Choosing the proper marking device depends entirely on what the device will
be expected to accomplish. With such a wide range of marking devices available,
one can be found to integrate into many industrial applications.