Payback for keeping track

More and more manufacturing companies are being asked to provide traceability, the goal of which allows the charting of any problems back to specific batches of components that might be affected. Marks used to accomplish this task can offer information such as material batch, machine, operator, date and time. There is no hiding place. The other trend driving this interesting technology area is branding. Marking a logo or graphic on to a metal component can offer a genuine sense of quality for certain types of parts. A case in point can be seen at Huddersfield-based Midas Golf, where two Scorpion Rapide lasers with customised MaxBox Plus workstations from Electrox (01462 472400) are creating permanent marks on premium brand golf clubs. Here, logos are marked, along with a unique serial number that offers traceability: the company assembles custom-fit golf clubs to customer requirements on behalf of global names such as Puma and Nike. RECOMMENDED PROCESS Midas Golf needed a marking process that was repeatable, legible, adaptable and easy to use. With this in mind, Nike recommended Electrox lasers, as they were already being used by the company's American suppliers. Prior to purchasing the first laser, the Electrox team spent time understanding the operation at Midas Golf and developed a solution to meet its needs. As a result, the MaxBox Plus workstation was customised to include side access and special tooling to hold the golf clubs in place. This is complemented by the Scorpion Rapide fibre laser. Midas Golf was so impressed with the results that, when it won the Puma contract, the company purchased a second laser to expand its marking capability. "Having the lasers in-house means we don't need to pay subcontracting costs. What's more, the newer MaxBox Plus can mark up to six clubs each with a unique serial number in one go, which offers time and cost savings," says Joanne Womersley, co-owner of Midas Golf. Lasers are certainly the hot potato in the marking world at present. Development aplenty is epitomised by the release of Foba's new generation of M-Series laser marking workstations. Available in the UK from TLM Laser (0845 260 2220), the smallest in the range, the Foba M1000, is class 1 laser safe and comes as standard with a programmable Z-axis, small worktable and a lift door. Once open, access to the interior is possible from three sides. Various powers of fibre laser are available for integration, and industries set to benefit include automotive, tooling, machine building and medical. Another new laser marker to hit the marketplace lately is the CombiLine Basic (www.machinery.co.uk/46952), a standalone workstation from Rofin-Baasel UK (01327 701100). Again, attention has been given to access requirements, as facilitated in this instance by a wide motorised door. Furthermore, a motorised Z-axis adapts the marking head position to varying workpiece heights. The machine's software supports matrix codes, barcodes and serial numbers, while air-cooled PowerLine F and PowerLine E laser markers can be accommodated in fundamental wavelength, says the company. More than a decade ago, Trumpf (0844 482 0188) claims it was the first to introduce industrial diode-end pumped marking lasers to the market. However, while laser marking is the obvious choice for multiple materials and individual part marking, there is another option for general sheet metalwork. Here, mechanical marking can prove an efficient and cost-saving option, and for this purpose Trumpf has developed a series of embossing, engraving and marking tools for its TruPunch range of punching machines (pictured). These allow metal marking to be integrated into the machine cycle and are said to be surprisingly flexible. GRAPHIC POSSIBILITIES Serial and lot numbers, date of manufacture and company logos are commonly created, but Trumpf engraving extends the possibilities to include filigree graphics, and the production of marks in different font sizes and dimensions. This is a non-cutting process that simply results in the material being displaced. Retaining the engraving theme, but this time for machined components, Advanced Carbide Tooling (ACT – 01455 234000) has also unveiled a new range of engraving tools (www.machinery.co.uk/47068). Utilising indexable carbide inserts with a corner radius as small as 0.1 mm, the range is said to be a cost-efficient and time-saving alternative to solid carbide engraving tools, which require replacing or regrinding, as well as subsequent machine re-setting. Many different materials can be marked, thanks to four insert geometries that are available with a TiN or TiAlN coating for improved tool life. With a high positive rake angle, the ACT engraving tools are capable of running at speeds up to 20,000 rpm and feed rates of 0.08 mm/rev. Back to dedicated marking units, Pryor Marking Technology (0114 276 6044) has just completed its new electromagnetic dot marking machine range, with the addition of two pneumatic technologies offering different benefits. According to Pryor, high frequency pneumatic dot marking allows continuous line style marking or higher speeds. Furthermore, high amplitude dot marking offers a generous 12 mm stroke that compensates for uneven surfaces and can generate deep marks. Another new dot marker to make the transition from development lab to production line is the e8-c153 z-a SIC dot marker (www.machinery.co.uk/45946), with 160 by 100 mm marking window, from Universal Marking Systems (0208 898 4884). The machine is capable of marking up to 3,000 components a day and one of its principal target markets is data matrix marking in the aerospace sector. Using its auto-sense function, the marking head on the e8-c153 z-a descends automatically to the part, so that the tungsten carbide stylus touches the component and then backs off a pre-programmed distance to ensure consistent marking depth. This means that manual Z-axis height adjustment is no longer necessary. Other new marking innovations worthy of note include the high speed SS3700/470 TeleScribe from Telesis Marking Systems (01404 549139). This scribe marker is servo-driven for optimum speed-depth ratio, and delivers permanent, virtually silent marking. Marks 7 mm high can be generated at up to two characters per second. Finally, touching on inkjet technology, the Bergstein's BE HS1 industrial colour inkjet line (www.machinery.co.uk/44663) is now available in the UK through Kaye-Dee Marking Solutions (0114 256 0222). This is a high speed digital system that can print on to a range of solid objects that pass under the heads on a conveyor. Automatic detectors ensure that the print registers on to the items correctly. The choice of available technologies and machines certainly makes for a healthy marking marketplace. And because quality requirements only ever head in one direction (up), this looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. Box item 1 of 1 Seeing is believing DataMan direct part mark (DPM) reading technology from Cognex UK (01327 856040) is now available on the DataMan 9500 industrial grade mobile computer (www.machinery.co.uk/46431), enabling users to view code data on this handheld device. The Cognex DataMan 9500 has been designed for shopfloor use to allow DPM codes to be read and transferred to the company network via Wi-Fi for real-time data collection. The DataMan 9500 uses the Cognex 2DMax algorithm, which is capable of reading difficult 2D codes, including dot peen and laser etched, on any metal surface. The adjustable-focus liquid lens maximises the depth of field for reading barcodes, which enables the unit to decode 2D DPM marks close up, or 1D barcodes from a distance. First published in Machinery, February 2013