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Model 105 System, General
Q. How much does the Model 105 system cost?
A. The machines are offered in a variety of configurations of different work tables and motor speeds, ranging from just US $2,495 to $3,225.
A print die system, including die mount tooling, can add as little as $60, up to as much as thousands of dollars, depending on your needs and preferences.
An ink system, with enough ink to mark perhaps hundreds of thousands of parts over many months time, can cost as little as $21, up to, again, thousands of dollars, if drying and curing equipment is preferred.
So, the cost of a total marking system, ready to go, could be under US $2,600.
Q. Is the Model 105 a "pad printer"?
A. This can be confusing. A pad is used with the Model 105 when offset printing, but we try to avoid calling our machine a pad printer. The printing process that many people refer to as pad printing, is technically called gravure offset printing. The Model 105 is a "letterpress" process, not gravure.
Letterpress and gravure are two different kinds of printing dies. Gravure dies are plates where the print image is etched into the surface of the plate, like ink wells, representing the imprint composition, below the top surface of the plate. The wells are filled with ink and the top surface is wiped clean. The pad is pressed first onto the plate to pick the ink up out of the wells, then the pad is pressed onto the part to apply the imprint.
Letterpress dies are plates that are relieved to leave the print image remaining as the highest surface. Ink is applied to, and carried by that top surface. Letterpress dies may be used for either direct contact printing or for offset printing. An ordinary rubber stamp is an example of a simple letterpress die. In letterpress offset printing, the die is inked and used to apply a mirror image of the imprint to the offset pad. The offset pad is then used to apply the imprint to the part being marked.
Q. Is the Model 105 better than a pad printer?
A. It depends on what you need to do. Both letterpress and gravure have strengths and limitations. One of the primary strengths of letterpress is the ability to support changeable mark composition, such as with changeable type characters or combinations of die plates to assemble a complete mark composition. This makes letterpress well suited for jobs requiring frequent small changes in mark composition, such as for lot numbers, date codes, and even serial numbers, by changing only a portion of the print die. With gravure printing, the entire printing plate would have to be remade to include any updated information.
On the other hand, gravure pad printers are capable of delivering more ink to the substrate. They are better than letterpress for filling solid areas of color, such as for decorative purposes. The Model 105 is best applied for printing text and line art, such as commonly required for identification marking and coding of industrial manufactured parts and components. -
Ink Systems
Q. Is the ink fast drying?
A. There are several commonly used ink systems, each having different dry and cure characteristics. Note, there is a distinction between "dry" and "cure". The term "dry" refers a condition where a volatile component of the ink evaporates. The term "cure" refers to a conversion of physical properties.
Some inks will air dry; some have no volatile component and do not dry at all. Some of the air dry inks also cure after drying; others do not. The inks that air dry are slow drying, but may be, and often are, forced dry with either hot air or by heat lamps.
The inks that are nondrying, must be cured with a secondary operation, such as exposure to heat or UV light. In some cases, this is a very fast process; sometimes deliberately slow.
Q. Is the ink permanent?
A. Permanent can mean different things to many people. If you mean, "will it wash off with water?" then yes, the inks are permanent. If your idea of permanent is different, then please inquire about your specific needs.
Q. Do you have a MIL-STD ink?
A. Yes. Several of our inks satisfy the requirements of various MIL-STD specifications. -
Die Systems
Q. What is the best die system for my application?
A. It depends on your needs. Some factors to consider are (a) the process to be used, direct or offset printing, (b) the size and complexity of mark composition, (c) detail quality required, (d) changeability of composition, (e) budget, and (f) personal preference. Your JanTech rep will want to discuss all these things before making a recommendation. -
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