Stamp Breakage in Roll Marking Application

Q: We are  having a problem with the same W stamp breaking on a frequent occurrence. The same stamp breaks each time, I also wanted to inquire about having a stamp plate made with a set screw on the side to hold the stamps in a rigid manor.

 A: The “W” is the widest character in the alphabet  and it comes close to the side of the tool steel blank when engraved. Thus it =
is the easiest to break. There can be many reasons for one to break and not the other. One might be on the end of the legend or next to a narrow character or one may be taller (newer) and taking more force.

If the problem persists and the marking application cannot be altered then my suggestion to improve longevity is to make special “W” inserts on a wider blank. I am guessing you are using 1/8” from the photo it’s a bit difficult to know, but Jeff will look up your serial number and we will get it quickly. Anyhow 1/32 wider would allow for more material between the trailing extreme end of the W character and the edge of the stamp blank.  

As far as putting a set screw in the edge of the stamp holder to perform a “take up” function this is normally a big no-no in roll =
marking. The stamps need to be supported top to bottom and have float room for dirt and swelling under pressure. However depending on the excess you have we can make you a spacer which would take up the excess.

A few  helpful hints I might pass along.

1. Never mark deeper than you have to excess force to embed the stamp causes a shear condition when it tries to roll out of the =
material.

2. 3/32 to 1/8 characters normally are marked .007 into steel for a nice impression

3. Never use dull stamps next to sharp newer stamps, the difference in length will force the longer one to absorb most of the  pressure.

4. Never shim a stamp they are ground flat at the bottom and a shim allows them to rock in the holder producing side loads

5. Keep a fine wire brush handy to scrub the character face when possible to prevent impaction of metal film and debris which can cause character blow out.