Coding Plastic and Metal Extrusions

Extrusion is one of today’s most effective industrial metal/plastic production methods. Manufacturing companies utilize extrusion to produce pipes, tubes, sheets, window/door frames, fittings, and other essential parts/components.

Extrusion facilities frequently experience harsh conditions as a result of the extrusion process. Common factors include:

Extreme heat
Dust
Humidity
Vibrations
Oil and grease presence

Without protective measures, these elements can damage hardware, derail production processes, and cause expensive downtime. Unfortified product marking machines are particularly vulnerable to extreme conditions, as dust, vibrations, and heat can cause malfunctions and misprints.

InkJet, Inc's product marking technologies help extrusion operations more effectively complete product marking applications. Our printers and laser systems excel at coding plastic and metal extrusions and can easily withstand traditionally challenging conditions. With InkJet, Inc’s hardware, you can reduce errors, increase operational efficiency, and maximize uptime. Here’s how:

InkJet, Inc’s Solutions for Coding Plastic and Metal Extrusions

Extrusion is an inherently harsh manufacturing process. Extreme temperatures, excessive humidity, dust, and other environmental factors wreak havoc on unfortified machinery and render codes illegible.

InkJet, Inc’s high-quality marking hardware helps extrusion operations maximize productivity by resisting environmental threats and producing consistently excellent results. We offer numerous printer and laser options for different line setups, production processes, output needs, and substrates.

This table lists our plastic/metal extrusion marking technologies and displays their general specifications. Additional information on each option can be located further below. Click the title in the table’s leftmost column to jump to a specific section.

InkJet, Inc’s Plastic and Metal Extrusion Coding Options
Coding Technology	Operating Method	System Options	Maximum Resolution and Print Height	Maximum Marking Speed	Cost Factors	Compatible Materials
Continuous Inkjet Printer	Propels pressurized ink droplets towards the substrate	DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, & Pigment	70 DPI at 15 mm height	320 m/min.	Low to moderate unit cost, low consumable cost	Metal and plastic
Laser Marking Solution	Creates a concentrated light beam to mark or engrave the substrate	F8100F Fiber, F8100C CO2, LDR 7100, & F8100U UV Laser Marking Systems	Lenses up to 300mm x 300mm	2,000 characters per second	High unit cost, little to no consumables	Varies by model
Hi-Res Case Coder	Propels oil-based ink droplets to create stark codes	Precision Series 18mm & 72mm	180 DPI at 18mm height or 72mm height	Low to moderate speed	Moderate unit cost, low consumable cost	Plastic

Continuous Inkjet Printers: DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, and Pigment

Continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers are non-contact production line printing systems designed to mark substrates moving at 300 m/min and above. Built with powerful ink circulation systems, CIJ printers can operate up to 24 hours daily without downtime. The speed, wide ink compatibility, and versatile printheads of CIJ printers enable extrusion companies to mark diverse products with durable markings.

InkJet, Inc’s comprehensive CIJ ink catalog contains dozens of formulas that are ideal for coding plastic and metal extrusions. Notable extrusion ink properties include:

Superior substrate adhesion
Ultra-quick dry times
Alcohol resistance
Heat resistance
Sunlight resistance
Extreme temperature resistance
Oil/grease penetration
Condensation penetration
Soft and hard pigmentation

InkJet, Inc. carries three CIJ systems:

All DuraCode systems can mark porous and non-porous substrates at speeds up to 320 m/min. Equipped with an IP55 outer structure and able to operate in temperatures ranging from 41-113° F, the DuraCode CIJ can withstand potentially hazardous environmental elements to deliver consistently excellent results.

The DuraCode Keyboard and Touchscreen offer the same specifications and ink compatibility. The only difference between them is their input medium. The DuraCode Pigment has the same functionalities and specifications as the DuraCode Keyboard and Touchscreen but uses pigmented ink instead of dye ink.

See the chart below for a closer look at the DuraCode models’ most important specifications.

Specification	DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, & Pigment CIJ Printers
Nozzle	40, 50, 60, 70 μm
Print Height	1.2-15 mm
Maximum Print Speed	Up to 1,050 ft./min (320 m/min)
Print Distance	1-3 in. (25.4-76.2 mm)
Input System	Touchscreen or Standard Keyboard / WYSIWYG
Print Font	5x5, 7x5, 9x6, 11x8, 16x11, 24x17, 32x22
Operating Environment	Temperature: 5-45° C (41-113°F) Humidity: 0%-90%, no condensing
User Defined Field	Bar Code, QR Code, Logos, Clock, Counter, Classes, etc.
IP Rating	IP55 Industrial Protection
Gross Weight with Complete Package	45 kg / 99 lbs
Standard Features	Font library - Multi-language support - Traverse printing - 90-degree vertical printing - Special counter Counter replacement - Clock replacement - Encoder port - USB port - Ink recovery pump - Solvent flush pump - Micro print
Optional Add-Ons	Serial port - Network LAN connection - Positive air pump

Laser Marking Solutions: Fiber, CO2, and UV Laser Models

Laser marking systems are perfect for extrusion facilities that require high coding speeds, reliable accuracy, and exceptional code appearance. Laser users can mark and engrave their products with visually appealing text, scannable codes, traceable serial numbers, and other essential markings.

Laser systems are more expensive than TIJ and CIJ printers upfront but do not use consumables. Moreover, they have minimal maintenance needs and do not require annual servicing. Depending on your product output, these factors can make laser marking more cost-effective than inkjet printing.

Inkjet Inc. offers four laser models:

Our laser systems offer similar specifications and benefits. The F8100F, F8100C, LDR7100, and F8100U provide:

Marking speeds up to 2000 characters/sec.
24/7 uninterrupted coding
Reliable ingress protections
Long laser tube life
Enhanced high-resolution mark quality
Plug-and-play laser module for easy line replacement
User-friendly control panel via computer or smartphone app

Material compatibility is the main difference between our laser options. Fiber, CO2, and UV lasers produce beams of different wavelengths. Beam wavelength significantly influences material compatibility, so it’s important to understand which laser technology best suits your substrates as you consider your system options.

This chart illustrates the material compatibility of fiber, CO2, and UV laser systems:

Laser Marking Material Compatibility
Material Category	Specific Material	Fiber Laser	CO2 Laser	UV Laser
Plastics	Polypropylene (PP)	✔	✔	✔
	Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)	✔	✔	✔
	High-density polyethylene (HDPE)	✔	✔	✔
	ABS	✔	✖	✔
	Polyacetal (POM: polyoxymethylene)	✔	✔	✔
	Polyamide (PA)	✔	✔	✔
	Polycarbonate (PC)	✔	✖	✔
	Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)	✖	✔	✔
Metals	Steel	✔	✔	✔
	Galvanized Steel	✔	✔	✔
	Aluminum	✔	✔	✔
	Titanium	✔	✔	✔
	Copper	✔	✖	✔
	Brass	✔	✖	✔
✔ = Full compatibility ✔ = Limited compatibility ✖ = No compatibility

See the chart below for a closer look into our laser systems’ most important specifications.

Specification	F8100F, F8100C, LDR7100, & F8100U Laser Systems
Marking Speed	Up to 2,000 characters/second
Line Speed	Up to 200 m/min
Wave Lengths	Fiber: 1,055 - 1,070nm CO2: 10.6um, 10.2um, and 9.3um LDR: 10.6um, 10.3um, and 9.3um UV: 355nm
Marking Formats	Standard industrial fonts (Windows TrueType®) and single line font Machine-readable codes (OCR, 2D matrix, etc.) Bar codes: code 128a, code 128B, code 128c, code39, code93, QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec-Code, Han Xin-Cod Graphics, logos, symbols, etc. Linear, circular, angular, reverse, rotate sequential, and batch numbering Automatic date, layer and time code, real-time clock
Laser Tube	Fiber: Ytterbium (YT) pulsed fiber laser CO2: Sealed CO2 laser LDR: Sealed CO2 laser UV: Solid-state UV laser
Beam Deflection	Steers beam with digital high-speed galvanometer scanners
User Interface	Personalized touch control screen with an easy-to-learn interface
Communication	UDP, TCP/IP, and RS232 Inputs for encoder and product detector triggers 4 inputs/4 outputs for start/stop signals, machine/operator interlocks, and alarm outputs (in addition to safety circuits) Customer-specific solutions are available
Integration	Flexible beam delivery options (beam extension unit/beam turning unit)
Cooling System	Air-cooled
Operating Environment	Temperature: 5-40° C (41-104°F) Humidity: 0%-90%, no condensing Inputs for encoder and product detector triggers
IP Rating	Cabinet: IP54 standard
Weight	Approx. 40 kg

High-Resolution Case Coders: Precision Series 18mm & 72mm

High-resolution case coders (hi-res) excel at creating large images and DPI-rich codes. InkJet, Inc’s hi-res systems—Precision Series 18mm and Precision Series 72mm—use powerful piezoelectric printheads and thick oil-based inks to create stark, long-lasting markings.

Most hi-res systems are used for secondary and tertiary packaging. However, Precision Series printers can use plastic-compatible formulas, enabling them to place high-resolution markings on passing plastic products.

See the chart below for a closer look into the Precision Series’ most important specifications:

Specification	Precision Series 18mm & 72mm Hi-Res Case Coder
Dimensions and Weight (Including Bracket)	(L/W/H) 322 x 183 x 480 mm / 12.7” x 7.2” x 18.9 3.35 kg / 7.38l bs
Line Speed	Up to 200/min
Print Area	53.7mm x 500mm per print head
Print Speed	0 - 60 m/min
Print Head	180 DPI
Operating Environment	Temperature: 5-38° C / (41-100.4°F) Humidity: 10% – 90% (non-condensing)
Internal Memory	42 MB for fonts, images, and labels. The number of labels depends on the size.
Barcode Options	EAN8, EAN13, CODE 39, CODE128, ITF, and QR with adjustable height and module width. Multiple barcodes are possible in one label.
Automatic Shift Codes	Up to 25 shift codes, definable over a maximum of 7 days. Multiple shift codes are possible in one label.