Driving fun with clear mark(ing)

Driving fun with clear mark(ing)

Dependable to protect original parts ink jet alphaJET (CIJ) is marking automotive components

If the individual parts were not marked, service, quality assurance, traceability and anticounterfeiting protection for spare parts would not be possible. Depending on size and model, cars today have more than 10,000 parts and many hundred meters of cable.

Safe costs and secure your production reliability with the continuous ink jet alphaJET.

Many manufacturers and suppliers of the automotive industry rely on the experience and know-how of Koenig & Bauer Coding.

No car will run without marking Quality assurance systems ensure that no car without markings rolls off the assembly line. Without these markings, it would be impossible to determine exactly when and where a part was manufactured in the highly interconnected and tightly integrated automotive supply chain.

If a lot is subsequently found to be defective, the car manufacturer can issue a vehicle recall and have the parts replaced at a service center.Marking also provides anti-counterfeit protection, which is important because imitation parts of inferior quality can easily tarnish brand reputation.

First we apply a white background on a part with an alphaJET series printer and then we print a data matrix code (DMC) on top of it to achieve a high contrast and guarantee traceability.

Describes a carmaker

Standard product coding:

1D and 2D bar codes (for example, EAN Code, Data Matrix Code)
alphanumeric texts
simple to complex graphics and logos

The production facility, time stamp, lot number and similar information can be stored, for example, in a compact data matric code (DMC) or in a dot code.

The ink makes the difference:

Standard inks based on MEK (methyl ethyl ketone)
Ethanol-acetone
Ethanol
pigmented inks
PVC inks
and a number of special inks.

By using special types of ink which have high resistance to gasoline, Freon and high temperatures, inkjet marking systems can now be used in a much broader range of applications. Inconspicuous marking using UV-readable ink can be applied as proof of authenticity.

Fit for Industry 4.0

In an Industry 4.0 environment, workpiece marking becomes even more important. In the smart factory, it is essential that every part can be identified. A reader on a machining center detects the marking and then "knows" how to process the part. The legibility of the marking must be guaranteed under any conditions, and that places increased demands on resolution and adhesion. Even parts with small dimensions must be marked.