Numbering Machines
Numbering machines are a type of marking machinery, used to print or otherwise mark paper or other materials with unique or consecutive identifying numbers.
Quick links to Numbering Machines Information
Applications of Numbering Machines
To keep track of documents or identify products, numbering machines are used on items such as request forms, invoices, bank bills, tickets, and purchase orders.
Most often, numbering machines are found in these environments:
- Banks
- Hospitals and Medical Clinics
- Government Offices
- Laboratories
- Attorney Offices
- Court Buildings
- Police Departments
- Human Resources Offices
- Billing Offices
- Post Offices
Essentially, they can be found in any place in which document and/or item stamping or tracking is part of day to day operations. As noted, numbering machines can be partnered with materials other than standard paper. Such materials include plastics, leather, fibrous materials, glossy paper banknotes, and even metal.
Numbering Machine Design and Customization
To serve the diverse set of numbering and identifying needs out there, numbering machines are available with a number of different features and capabilities. Some, for example, work using manual controls, while others operate automatically. They may offer single stamping, double stamping, or triple stamping capabilities, and they may also offer consecutive labeling. Numbering machines can usually be programmed to create different labels, such as those that include a batch code or manufacturing code and/or those that include a date and time.
Notable Types of Numbering Machines
Some specific types of numbering machines include:
- Bates Automatic Numbering Machines or Bates Stampers
- One of the oldest types of numbering machines, though they have been updated with modern technology. They work well in the marking of legal documents during litigation, in which they can sequentially number a large amount of papers with different identifiers.
- Embossing Machines
- Work best for the numbering and lettering of credit cards and debit cards. They work exclusively with ductile materials like plastic and leather, creating upraised numbers and letters by putting materials under the influence of heat and pressure.
- Engraving Machines
- Work much the same as embossing machines, except that they instead work exclusively with hard materials like metal.
- Batch Coding and Batch Printing Machines
- Available in manual, semi-automatic, and automatic configurations, and they are also divided into categories of contact coding and non contact coding types. Contact coding types work using a combination of pressable letters and numbers made of metal or rubber and ink media such as ribbon, solid ink, or liquid ink. Non contact coding types, on the other hand, work by emanating laser beams or spraying ink. They know when to send out the beams or the spray based on information fed to them by sensors.
Here are a few more types of numbering machines:
- Laser Printers
- Inkjet Printers
- Industrial Inkjet Printers
- Laser Marking Machines
Factors to Consider When Purchasing Numbering Machines
The choice of what numbering machine(s) to purchase for an application comes down to a number of different factors, such as product material, product volume, and industrial application. This is important because some numbering machines are not suitable for use with certain materials. Ink stamping, for example, is best for printing on regular paper documents, such as bills, tickets, and legal papers. Imprinting, on the other hand, is the ideal equipment choice for those working with glossy paper or other non-standard paper products, such as banknotes or paper money. Oftentimes, engraving machines or laser markers are used to print information on materials that cannot be stamped or to which regular ink does not adhere.
In the same way that some machines are better for certain materials than others, some numbering machines are only suitable for small-scale or slower production, while others are capable of processing large amounts of paper or products at once. Other things to consider are the precision and accuracy of number placement; some numbering machines and number methods are more precise than others. For the most part, the method of manual stamping is seldom used in an industrial setting. This is because, while manual stamping tools are easy to use and purchasing them is less expensive than purchasing automated equipment, they are highly labor intensive. In addition, this method takes much longer than automated number machines do, but it does not yield better results. Instead, it yields highly inconsistent results and should therefore only be used for small scale applications in which precision is not key.
Proper numbering, lettering, and identification are essential to any application in which they are involved. For more information on numbering machines and how they may benefit your application, reach out to an experienced marking machine manufacturer or supplier today.