"Bing" wrote in message ...
"William Danielson" wrote in message
m...
I'd like some suggestions on the best way to mark a lot code on
stamped steel part. Its a drawn steel wheel half used to make a golf
cart wheel. We need to put a code on the bare steel part indicating
date of manf and the steel coil number it was made from. We will
probably need to change the code a few times a shift since we change
coils that often.

I was leaning toward a Telesis pin marking engraving device in a
separate marking station with some kind of automated load/unload pick
and place mechanism. A colleague suggests adding marking punches to
the forming die. Can anyone suggest a tooling supplier of such a
device that is quickly changeable, since we will have to change the
coil number code about 3 times per shift.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

We used to dot peen that kind of stuff, but you could make a punch insert up
yerself easy enough.

I dont have any links to die stamps, but you might find this informative.
You could make something like this but in male form.
http://www.pcs-company.com/MoldComponents_date.htm

I've also made our own. A sleeve with the major markings, keyed in and a
core pin in the center with a velour screw in the back and ridges to locate.
I put an o-ring in-between the pin heel and the sleeve counterbore to hold
it. There is a small screwdriver slot in the top of the pin to rotate until
the markings line up.

HTH
Bing

Bing,

Thanks for the link to the cool date stamping die inserts.

Do you prefer the stamp in die to the, I suppose, external dot peening
gadgets? I'm sure the stamps are cheaper, are there other reasons you
prefer that approach.

Thanks,

Doug Danielson