Tool Steel to Mark All Materials

Product manufacturers are sometimes concerned that their products cannot be marked, but there are many types of tool steel available on the market that can handle even the most stringent situations. For example, companies that manufacture forged products have to deal with the issue of wear and tear on the stamp caused by the stress of constant high temperatures. Hot working steel stamps created from H-13 tool steel hold up particularly well under the high heat of forging. Other tool steels could lose their hardness levels under these conditions.

Steel stamps for metal are made from high grade steel such as A-2 tool steel – the most popular choice in the manufacturing industry since it handles most marking needs. High speed tools steels (M-2, M-4) are used for high volume metal marking. These are made from metal alloys with high carbide content and can be designed with raised images to leave an impression on a surface or with reverse characters for making molds.

Steel stamps for making impressions on leather are typically made from heat-treated tool steel to ensure maximum lifespan and durability. They are made either to serve in a clicker or press or to be used in conjunction with a mallet. Hand held stamps for wood products can also be struck with a mallet to leave a more refined impression that with a branding iron.

Clay and concrete stamps are fully customizable with your logo to leave a precise mark in soft materials such as potter’s clay, precious metal clay and wet cement. Jewelry stamps are also custom designed to create perfect marks every time using a mallet or ball hammer.

Steel stamps for marking plastic are created to use with a press or with a hand mallet, depending on the volume of use. Marking plastic can be tricky so special attention to detail is taken to ensure a clear, accurate impression on the product.

Quality and Expertise at Illinois Engraving

At Illinois Engraving we apply our expertise to custom design your steel stamps with the appropriate tool steel for the job. Quality matters to us. We emphasize this throughout each step of the manufacturing process. Call us today at 1.800.528.2050 for your custom steel stamps.

• Minimal stress stamps are for highly sensitive products such as pressurized containers, electrical components or parts for the aeronautical industry, where microscopic fractures must be avoided.
• Roll dies are shaped like a donut to mark flat, concave or convex surfaces and can mark flat or cylindrical products. They can be used for bar marking or marking tubular metal as well as leather and hot stamping plastic products.
• Hot stamps are typically made from brass or tool steel alloys and are used in hot stamping machines. They can be used in conjunction with hot stamping foils to add color to the product marking for a logo or any variety of text or numbers.
• When you need a raised image we create steel stamps for embossing. The embossing die set is meant to be used in a press. We make these according to your specifications and we can reproduce your artwork accurately.
• Hand steel stamps are best used with a mallet for marking wood, steel, leather, plastic or jewelry.
• Hand held inspection stamps are also used with a mallet to produce a clear impression for professional applications. They are manufactured from high speed steel or metal alloy tool steel.
• If you need to mark your products with your company name, serial numbers or patent numbers for example, alphabet stamps are available in sets with uppercase and lowercase letters. You can also get them in kits with numbers and symbols.

We machine grind our steel type stamps to fit any holder and we are able to accurately reproduce special designs or more than one letter. These steel stamps can be used to mark metal or for date coding paper and plastic products. We use the finest grade of tool steel for maximum life and perfect alignment. Our steel type holders are used for marking irregular or flat surfaces and single or multiple line marking. The type holders are heat treated to ensure a uniform impression depth. Contact Illinois Engraving today at 1.800.528.2050 to place your order for custom steel stamps.

We are known in the marking industry for making steel stamps so strong they keep on stamping long after other stamps have retired. Regardless of the application for a stamp we take pride in manufacturing durable products with a monitored heat treatment for proper hardness. We are aware of the cost of production down time and use only the best quality materials to minimize tooling break downs.

In our art department we work with Mac or PC platforms using the most recent layout and design software including CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. You can give us your original designs and logos in digital format or as a drawing, sample or sketch. If you need help with a design, we have over 85 years experience in the industry and can give you suggestions that will give you a competitive edge. We will provide a layout for your approval and give you many options from our font gallery. We keep your artwork on file so it can be reproduced at any time.

There are three basic faces we use for your steel stamps:

1. Flat-faced Stamp. This is a design, character or logo that is created with a flat surface at the uppermost area where it contacts the material being stamped. This face style works well for soft metals and wood, cardstock, tooling leather, precious metal clay, potter’s clay, soap, wax, sand and wet concrete.
2. Round-faced Stamp. This face style has rounded peaks on the design or characters and is used in low stress applications were micro fractures must be prevented. Dot-style fonts are frequently used for these stamps.
3. Sharp-faced Stamp. The characters and designs on these stamps are made with sharp peaks and are used on materials that can stand up to a heavy impact. They are used for marking shoe leather, unhardened carbon steel, mildly hard steel, hardwood, and heavy duty plastics.

At Illinois Engraving our goal is to give you the best customer experience while delivering you the most durable, long-lasting steel stamps produced with absolute accuracy. When you call, a customer service representative will answer all your questions and make sure you have everything you need to place your order or get started with a new product. We share our expertise with you at no cost or obligation. We will analyze your products and determine the best solution for your marking needs. Call Illinois Engraving today at (800) 528-2050 for all your steel stamps needs