Reliable marking for pipes, profiles and wire ropes

Mühltal, March 2024 - Permanent and captive marking makes tubes and profiles unique, identifiable and traceable and wire ropes safe. At Tube 2024, REA Elektronik will be showcasing its low-consumption, low-maintenance solutions and systems for contact-free industrial marking - which should also be of interest to visitors to Wire 2024.

Whether made from red-hot metal, freshly extruded plastic or poured concrete - pipes and profiles as well as wire products require a wide variety of markings: Machine-readable codes, which can also be serialized, provide reliable guidance through internal logistics and make products traceable for a lifetime - seals of approval, quality marks and manufacturer logos create reliability and trust. REA JET, the product line of the full-range supplier REA Elektronik, offers all of this with its systems for contact-free, industrial marking and the special inks that are highly regarded in the industry.

At Tube 2024, the experts from REA JET will provide an insight into the diversity of their range for coding and marking tubes and profiles as well as steel springs and wire ropes - which means that the applications will also be of interest to visitors to the Wire 2024 trade show, which is taking place at the same time. The REA trade show highlights at a glance.

Etching inks for permanent and high-resolution marking

The REA JET HR 2.0 inkjet printers apply high-resolution alphanumeric texts and logos as well as variable information such as dates, times, counters, shift codes and database content to absorbent and non-absorbent surfaces. Depending on the size of the motif, up to four print heads can be combined to produce markings up to 50.8 millimetres high. And they are also maintenance-free thanks to cartridge technology.

The use of etching ink on metallic surfaces is recommended as a risk-free alternative to laser marking. The REA JET HR 2.0 applies high-resolution motifs and serialized information to the metal using a chemical process triggered by the ink so that they remain permanently attached to it. Visitors to the trade show will be able to see the effect of the application live on site and see how metal pipe sections are permanently marked using this innovative technolog.

Spray Mark Technology for high-resolution marking of the inside of the pipe

With a variety of colors and paints, the REA JET ST spray mark technology applies precise markings to metallic surfaces - whether dots to mark defects, lines to indicate weld seams or colored ring markings to differentiate between pipe types. Colored lines provide safety, making it visible when wire ropes are twisted. Dots of different colors on steel springs indicate their damping strength.

With a block of several heads, the spray mark technology can print texts up to 700 mm high - dot by dot. And nothing is too hot for it: its special inks hold securely on surfaces that are up to 1,000 degrees hot.

REA JET offers a special application of spray mark technology in combination with the REA JET CL CO₂ laser for the high-resolution internal marking of pipes. In the first step, the spray mark head creates a white color mirror from laser-sensitive ink. In the second step, the REA JET CL works high-resolution information into the white color mirror. Texts and graphics of all kinds up to a size of 250 x 250 mm, including dynamic text fields, can be created.

Large character pipe marking on the outside and inside with the REA JET DOD 2.0

The REA JET DOD 2.0 large character inkjet printer marks smooth, absorbent, oily and even scaled pipe surfaces with alphanumeric characters, logos and 2D matrix codes. Its fast-drying and pigmented special inks produce highly legible and durable markings at speeds of up to 600 meters per minute. In real time, it turns the data received from the production control computer into serialized plain text and 2D codes, making every marking unique and every pipe one of a kind. Even in the harshest environments, the fastest and most durable inkjet printer in its class reliably prints large markings on the outside of the pipe. It prints data and logos in sizes from 5 to 140 mm with a single print head - several print heads can be combined for print layouts with larger dimensions.

From an internal diameter of 200 mm, the REA JET DOD 2.0 also prints on the inside of the tube. This is possible both with a moving print head and in a rotating tube.

One operating software for all: the REA JET TITAN platform

REA JET's coding and marking systems adapt to the individual needs of customers and can be flexibly integrated into production with state-of-the-art interfaces. As diverse as their applications are: All REA JET systems can be operated with the software of the REA JET TITAN platform. This makes them even easier to integrate into existing systems, saves time and money thanks to reduced training requirements, simplified personnel deployment and fewer errors. Users can choose between the REA JET Universal Controller with knobs and buttons for turning and pressing, or the Universal Touch Controller with a modern, tile-based interface on a display that can be operated by touch like a smartphone - even when wearing gloves.

On the tube for the first time: Solutions for printing lubricants

The REA JET systems are not only used for digital marking in metal forming, but also for the application of fluids. To this end, the cooperation partners REA Elektronik and LBI oil free (www.lbi-oilfree.de) have successfully implemented the printing of oil-free lubricants with the "REA JET HR Lube" and "REA JET DOD Lube" systems.

For the REA JET HR Lube version, the oil-free lubricants from LBI oil free are filled in cartridges - for digital dosing to prepare metals for stamping and forming applications. With thermal inkjet technology, high-precision lubricant images can be applied individually and with high contour definition - without mist or aerosol. This increases production and operational reliability, as the lubricant is only applied where it is needed. The REA JET DOD large character inkjet printer is also available for lubricant applications. With different application widths and at printing speeds of up to 600 meters/minute, it also applies oil-free LBI lubricants without mist or aerosol

Visit REA JET at Tube 2024, the world's leading trade show for the tube and tube processing industry, from April 15 to 19, 2024 in Düsseldorf: Hall 6, Stand 6C19