Many mills throughout the world are turning to automated equipment to do their identification. Now, InfoSight Corporation has introduced the first automated slab tagging machine.
Until now, there has been no reliable system to automatically print and apply high quality bar coded tags to hot slabs, reducing man-hours and increasing personnel safety.
InfoSight’s Info-Tagger™ Automatic Slab Tagging System uses a high powered industrial CO2 laser to blacken the tag's white surface allowing the reliable non-contact printing of large man-readable numbers, high quality bar codes, and logos. MIG welding technology, which has been automated in the automotive and steel industries for years, attaches the tag to 1800°F (1000°C) slabs. The result is large man-readable numbers, high quality bar codes, and logos that survives the high temperatures of newly cast steel slabs.
The advanced electronics and all-new optics configuration are designed for even higher reliability, ultimate ease of maintenance, and tag printing speed that rivals laser printers with 2-1/2 times the power.
Automated machine control and communication is performed by the system PLC (Siemens, Rockwell Automation, Mitsubishi, Modicon, GE, as well as others). Operator controls via HMI or pushbutton/selectors switches allow plant floor personnel hands-on control over the automated system.
The embedded laser software is powerful yet easy to use, with new layout features emulating popular presentation software packages.
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Features
- Custom-engineered system design to match your mill geometry
- Single station or multi-strand machine configurations
- Flexible automation via Robotics or fixed automation via PLC controlled motions (air actuated, motor drive, etc.)
- Heavy-duty design for hot mill environments
- State-of-the-art CO2 Laser-marking technology
- Tag is designed for superior laser marking and mark survival after attachment to 1,000°C (1,800°F) hot steel
- For plain carbon steel redundant weld attachment of tags using industrial MIG welders/wire feeders sets applying four (4) corner welds to the tag
- Large, high contrast bar code tags can be scanned automatically at downstream locations
Specifications
| Tag Application | Single station (or multi-strand) system applies a high-temperature InfoTag® to one end-indexed slab at a time |
| Interface to System | Accepts mill computer download of the information to be marked on the tag |
| Print Capabilities | The tag mark can contain text, bar codes and logos |
| Level of Automation | The System performs automatic tag marking and tag application without Operator intervention, other than for minimal maintenance and replenishment of tags / welding wireg marking and tag application without Operator intervention, other than for minimal maintenance and replenishment of tags / welding wire |
| Attachment | Tag is securely attached using MIG welding technology for plain carbons steel production. For high alloy or stainless production an alternative machine configuration utilizing Nail attachment in lieu of MIG welding |
| Bar code symbologies | Code 128, code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, 2D (data matrix), QR, UPC, OptiCode®/Numbra®. Additional standard symbologies can be added, and custom/proprietary symbologies developed upon request. |
| Tag Widths | 3 or 4 inches (76 mm or 106 mm) nominal |
| Tag Lengths | Up to 14 in. (355 mm) |
| Communications Interface | Ethernet, Profibus, RS232C serial, and InfoSight Extended Protocol |
INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION AVOID EYE OR SKIN EXPOSURE TO DIRECT OR SCATTERED RADIATION CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT, USING A CLASS 4 EMBEDDED LASER (50 W, 10.57 - 10.63 µm)
Also available in PDF format
Specifications are subject to change without notice
Info-Tagger is a trademark of InfoSight Corporation
InfoTag, OptiCode and Numbra are registered trademarks of InfoSight Corporation