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 close to 80 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 1.800.528.2050 for all your steel stamps needs

Historically oil hardening steels (0-1) have been used for manufacturing hand stamps and steel stamps where the stamp will be used in a low stress application. Low tensile strength metals in this case can sufficiently handle the job required. The heat treat temperature used to create this type of steel runs from 1450 to 1600 °F with a resulting hardness of Rockwell 56 – 62c.

Oil Hardened Tool Steel for All-Purpose Use

Oil hardening steels are typically used in the manufacturing of reamers, taps, shear blades, knurling tools, coining dies, trimming dies and drills. They have the tendency to undergo reduced distortion during the quench operation although a minimal amount does occur. The oil hardening operation of the steel is more thorough than happens with water hardening grades and less than with the air hardening steels. It is a fine, all-purpose steel with super wear resistance and strength, and excellent machinability.

Low Cost and Durability

01 tool steel has a good resistance to abrasion and a high enough level of toughness to handle the stress load required for steel stamps. It is the cheapest and most readily available stool steel on the market with the capability of holding a keen edge, such as demanded in the manufacturing of knives and razors.

Chemical Composition of 01 Tool Steel

• Iron 97.1%
• Carbon 0.90%
• Chromium 0.50%
• Manganese 1.00%
• Tungsten 0.50%

The alloying elements in tool steel improve the over quality and durability of the final product. Increasing the carbon content results in slightly harder steel and improves the wear resistance considerably. The chromium adds to the toughness and wear resistance of the steel as well as raising its ability to harden. The manganese in small quantities decreases the brittleness of the steel and makes it easier to forge. In greater amounts it increases the hardenability, permits the steel to be quenched in oil and cuts down on deformation of the steel during quenching. The tungsten greatly improves the “hot-hardness” of the tool steel.

Illinois Engraving for Precision and Exceptional Service

We set ourselves apart from the competition in the steel stamps industry with over 75 years of experience and exceptional adherence to detail using the best materials on the market. We can accurately reproduce your logos and drawings with the assurance our stamps will give you the toughness and long lasting durability you need. We emphasize quality through every step of the manufacturing process. Please call us today at 1-800-528-2050 to order your custom steel stamps.

When steel stamps are made from tool steels, the inherent characteristics of the steel plus the changes that are affected from its manufacturing process and heat treatment dramatically influence its long lasting durability. The chemical composition is of the utmost importance. With the correct balance of alloy metals, marking or stamping instruments provide the service life that ensures the integrity of your final products and keeps your manufacturing costs down. 

A-1 Air Hardening Steels Provide Increased Toughness

Air hardening (A-2) tool steel can be used in the same applications where water and oil hardening steels are used. Some of these include cold chisels, blacksmith tools, cold forming tools, hand  punches, scissors, shears, razors, knives, taps, trimming dies, shear blades, knurling tools, drills, woodworking chisels, embossing dies and of course, steel stamps. The difference between this and other tool steel lies in the fact it has deeper hardenability and less tendency to deform during heat treatment. It is used in applications where greater accuracy is necessary.

The toughness of A-2 steel is due to higher levels of carbon and chromium. A typical chemical composition of the type of steel is this:

• Carbon 1.00%
• Silicon 0.30%
• Molybdenum 1.10%
• Manganese 0.80%
• Chromium 5.25%
• Vanadium 0.21%
• Iron – balance

Various steel alloys are combined with iron to produce the quality and toughness of A-2 steel for steel stamps. Raising the carbon content produces slightly harder steel and improves the wear resistance to a higher standard. The chromium adds value in terms of toughness and wear resistance of the steel in addition to further hardenability. The greater amount of manganese develops the hardenability, permits it to be oil quenched and decreased the distortion of the steel during quenching. The silicon is beneficial for the overall toughness and durability and makes it shock resistant. The vanadium refines the carbide structure of the steel and makes it a better metal to forge with improved hardness and resistance to wear.

Illinois Engraving Improves Your Bottom Line

The Illinois Engraving craftsmen take pride in the precise art of engraved tooling. With a dedication to designing with accuracy and using superior quality tool steels we assure the best products to suit your applications. We can suggest production techniques that reduce your overhead and increase your productivity. Please call us today at 1-800-528-2050 to order your custom steel stamps.

There are several key mechanical properties steel stamps must possess to make them suitable for a given application. The tool steel from which the stamp is manufactured must have specific hardness, heat resistance, toughness and wear resistance in the final heat-treated product. The most important element in an alloy steel is the carbon. It provides the essential hardness in the tool steel and adds the necessary attribute of wear resistance.

D-2 Tool Steel for Added Strength

D-2 air hardening tool steels are used in applications where greater tensile strength is required. This is the amount of stress or pulling force the metal can withstand before the tool becomes permanently distorted in shape. In marking tools the ability of the tool steel to maintain its integrity and its resiliency is critical. It represents the ability of the steel stamps to mark with precision over a long lasting service life for more intensive applications. These typically involve increased tensile strength metals such as stainless steel.

The heat treat temperature for D-2 air hardening tool steel is 1600-1650 °F and it is has a hardness of Rockwell 60c-62c. It has high resistance to wear and tear with reduced distortion. It is ideal for tools that must have long lasting durability. It includes the following elements:

• Carbon 1.55 %
• Chromium 12.00%
• Molybdenum 0.80%
• Vanadium 0.90%

The high level of chrome (12%) along with the high volume of high carbides in the steel matrix makes this tool steel strongly impervious to abrasion and deterioration. It is offers dimensional integrity or stability and has high compressive strength or is not easily crushed by pushing forces.

D-2 steel has a high level of carbon for strength and hardness. The very high level of chrome greatly improves its hardenability, toughness and resistance to wear. The molybdenum increases the deep hardening nature of the steel and helps to cut down on the costs, being less expensive then tungsten. The vanadium improves the overall quality of the steel’s carbide structure and develops its forgeability.

Illinois Engraving Provides Superb Workmanship

Regardless of the size of your operation, Illinois Engraving is competent to handle your individual needs. Our workmanship is superb, with acute attention to detail in every step of the process of creating your steel stamps. We use your drawing, CAD-CAM file, graphics file, sample or specification to accurately reproduce your logo or any character style. Please call us today at 1-800-528-2050 to order your custom steel stamps.

The demand in the U.S. for disposable medical supplies is expected to grow at a rate of around 5% per year through 2011. Currently it is a $71 billion industry. The most popular products include prefilled syringes, dry powder inhalers, blood glucose test strips for diabetes monitoring, transdermal patches for drug delivery, daily contact lenses and tissue sealants for wound closure. Most of these items require precision markings made with steel stamps to correctly identify the source and specifics of the product.

Every aspect of the medical industry has moved to using disposable plastic components rather than risking passing infections and disease via instruments that are not correctly sterilized. Plastic forceps, wound drainage systems, speculums and other hygienic devices require marking with steel stamps.

As the number of treated patients increases the demand for disposable products are used in the following medical fields:

• Urology
• Gastro Entrology
• Anesthesia
• Gynecology and Pediatric
• Transfusion and Blood Management
• General Surgery

For a number of reasons there is increased incidence of nosocomial infections (infections as a result of treatment in a hospital or healthcare facility) secondary to the condition for which the patient was originally admitted. This has forced suppliers of medical products to look at alternative methods of manufacturing. Plastic disposable components have been the most effective solution to reducing the risk of infection. Industry expectations require specific information to be clearly identified and the precision available with the use of steel stamps has increased the marketability of these products.

There is also tremendous growth in the industry due to the rapid expansion of self-treatment and preventative measures taken by patients at home. Medical practitioners are leaning toward making the range of services available to home patients much more accessible and this is broadly supported by disposable medical supplies. Precision steel stamps are an integral part of the manufacturing process for these products.

This also applies to dental equipment. There will always be a varied market for products in the medical field that uphold the prevention of infection. Quality steel stamps increase the feasibility of disposable medical products.

Manufacturers of disposable medical equipment rely on excellent quality craftsmanship of the steel stamps they use to mark their products with unmistakably clear identification. Needless to say errors in usage of these products can be fatal so the steel stamps used to mark them must be impeccable.

Illinois Engraving is the leading U.S. manufacturer of steel stamps used to identify disposable medical supplies. Call 1-800-528-2050 today.

You may wonder how steel stamps are related to your niche market. A niche market simply means a specific group of consumers with a focused interest within a larger market segment. Before you can develop a product to serve a niche market you must spend time and money identifying and analyzing it before can enter it with your product. This is a lengthy, involved process. Niche markets are highly competitive, so once you do launch a new product, you will want to be sure you correctly identify you product to help it stand out in the crowd. This is where steel stamps are invaluable.

Steel stamps are created to make a long lasting, high definition identification mark on your product. You will not survive for long in a niche market if our product cannot be recognized as yours. Niche markets tend to be formed from groups of consumers within communities having the same base of interests. They communicate with one another and discuss the quality of the products they use. If you want to be different from your competitors, your products need to be unique, innovative, dependable and durable. People in your niche market share testimonials about your new product, so it’s essential that other people can find it. Use steel stamps to create identification marks on your products.

In every type of manufacturing industry parts traceability issues are solved with excellent quality steel stamps. This helps to reduce the errors that occur when a required part or product is not marked to specifications. A good quality mar on your products that lasts for the life of the products helps to improve quality control as well as improvement in the appearance of your product.

Efficient marking systems in the industrial setting require clearly identifiable marks that can be read and verified by visual identification. This is vital on automated assembly lines. Steel stamps must be able to deliver a precise mark on your products that is clear, concise and durable.

More than ever manufacturers are under pressure to reduce costs and the quality control factor can be used to same time, labor and materials expenses. Improperly marked or poorly marked products cause mishaps on the assembly line that can result in financial losses. With clearly marked parts, there is less need for manual intervention that causes down time. It has helps to pinpoint quality defects and isolate them for evaluation and correction.

We are the steel stamps professionals with the solutions for your parts traceability needs. Contact us today for help with reducing your manufacturing costs.