digital printing on sheetlmetal parts

[HDS]

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.

 

[MadMango]

I haven't seen anything like that. Have you given pad printing a review?

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[HDS]

Some of the stuff I want to print is a little large for pad printing. I was hoping I could eliminate the screens or cliches. I know I will still need fixtures.

 

[mcgyvr]

I'd love to know too. We silkscreen all the time (and are high mix/low volume). A printer that could take place of that would be excellent. I've looked for a while and couldn't find anything.
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..

 

[HDS]

Laser seems to be a good option for markings like part numbers but does anyone use it for decorating things like logos? My panels are painted before silk screening. I think a laser could be used to burn through the paint but the results would not be as pretty as printing.

 

[MikeHalloran]

My last outfit replaced a Trumpf laser/punch system (because they couldn't afford to maintain the laser any longer) with a Trumpf punch system (no laser, but punches twice as fast).

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

 

[mcgyvr]

From what I've seen the lasers like I posted above are really only good for anodized surfaces as like I said the laser results in a white mark on anodized surfaces. We tried it with painted aluminum and it wasn't nearly as nice.
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.

 

[HDS]

There are inkjets with air drying and UV cure inks for marking applications. Some of them will even adhere to plastic bottles. What I can't find is one with a print quality comparable to silk screening.