Hot Stamping Machines - Sprinter Marking, Inc.

Hot stamping is a thermal bonding process and achieves permanent adherence between the surface material and the foil, and the resulting image can withstand some harsh conditions while remaining legible, making it an ideal process for the purposes of product identification. The marking tools used include a die, or sculpted metal design, which is used in the process of hot-stamping and is typically made form a metals such as copper, brass or steel. The die is heated and then pressed down on a piece of foil above the material being stamped.

The heat causes the foil to adhere to the material's surface in the pattern or image of the die. The quality of the stamped image depends on a number of factors - the heat of the die and the length of time the stamp is used for, as well as the amount of pressure applied all affect the image. Material compatibility also needs to be considered.

The process of hot stamping cannot be used with some materials that cannot maintain their properties under the heat and pressure of a stamping die. Other materials may be resistant to adhering to the foil stamp and therefore hot stamping would be ineffective. It is important to adequately support the material being marked, hot stamping requires a great amount of pressure and the consistency with which it is applied to a surface will affect the quality of the finished product.

Industries which utilize the part marking process of hot stamping include aerospace, automotive, biotech, cable and electrical and construction. Items such as HVAC systems, control panels, microwaves and semi-conductors use foil stamping in one form or another, as do common consumer applications such as greeting card and book covers, award ribbons, phone cards, poker chips, and many other products. Hot stamping is clean, fast, and dry and uses no inks or solvents, allowing it to be recognized as a sustainable and environmentally friendly procedure.

Furthermore, no knowledge of chemicals is required as there are none used in the marking process. There are no gases or fumes emitted from the labeling or stamping, and apart from the heat required to heat up the die and power the stamping press, there is little energy consumed by stamping. The three major types of hot stamping are vertical stamping, roll-on, and peripheral decorating.

Vertical stamping applies stamp foil or heat transfers to a flat area or up to 90 degrees of a cylindrical area. Roll-on hot stamping works best for flat, large-area surfaces. Peripheral decorating, in comparison, is used to decorate the perimeter of a part, up to 360 degrees.