digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
(OP)
Screen printing has long been the best solution for printing things like logos and text on shetmetal parts like panels. Is there a digital printer that is competitive with screen printing for high mix low volume work? I have found stuff for flat bed printing for signs or high speed marking of things like bottles. However, I haven't seen anything that is targeted at sheet metal panels with bends and hardware.





RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
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RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
If you don't need colors and just need to mark parts with writing take a look at lasers http://www.versalaser.com/english/
Many of our parts are black anodized and a laser makes a really nice white mark on black anodized surfaces.. Its pretty slow though compared to silk screening..
RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
The magical part is that it included an embossing punch that marks panels as they are blanked, so there is no chance of a part being mismarked in a subsequent operation. The punch ram is unbelievably fast, so embossing characters or logos goes much more quickly than you'd expect at one hit per dot.
To give you an idea of the speed, the embossing operation sounds like a very distant chain gun. The machine's frame is rigid, and isolated from the floor, so it doesn't make much noise; you don't feel it in the floor at all.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts
I've also got a sample on my desk of an americal eagle done on a piece of ceramic tile with the same laser and the quality is amazing.
But if you need multi-color (or any color but white) then the laser is out really.
I still can't believe there isn't an ink jet or something that can use inks that will adhere to metal.. It must be out there.
RE: digital printing on sheetlmetal parts