Metal and Steel Pipe Marking

Steel pipes and similar metal parts are essential to construction businesses, automotive manufacturers, oil/gas companies, and countless other fields.

Steel and metal pipe production takes place in harsh environments. Facilities are often home to extreme temperatures, dust, humidity, manufacturing/cutting fluids, and vibrations. Not only can these elements damage unfortified machinery, but they can also render product codes unreadable.

Metal and steel pipe producers frequently have to mark their products with alphanumeric codes and machine-scannable markings. Depending on the product and its intended application, these codes may indicate:

Pipe grade and material
Size and thickness
Manufacturing standard
Manufacturer name/logo
Pressure ratings
Directional arrows

Product codes also boost supply chain traceability and prevent counterfeiting.

InkJet, Inc’s industrial marking solutions help metal and steel production facilities more effectively complete pipe coding applications. Our systems offer impressive coding capabilities and ingress protections, enabling companies to mark metal parts quickly, reliably, and accurately.

Here’s how our metal and steel pipe marking technologies can benefit your business:

High-Quality Metal and Steel Pipe Marking Solutions for Demanding Applications

InkJet, Inc. carries multiple metal pipe marking solutions for companies with different line setups, production methods, and facility environments. Valve jet DOD printers used to be the industry-standard metal pipe marking solution. However, modern inkjet printers and laser systems offer numerous advantages over valve jet models.

Benefits include:

Better technical specifications
Greater code resolutions (which enable machine-scannable code printing)
Easier setup and operation
More diverse coding abilities
Expanded ink choice

InkJet, Inc’s inkjet printer and laser options are listed in this table. Additional information on each option can be located further below. Click the title in the table’s leftmost column to jump to a specific section.

InkJet, Inc’s Metal and Steel Pipe Marking Options
Coding Technology	Operating Method	System Options	Maximum Resolution and Print Height	Maximum Marking Speed	Cost Factors
Continuous Inkjet Printer	Propels pressurized ink droplets towards the substrate	DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, & Pigment	70 DPI at 15 mm height	320 m/min.	Low to moderate unit cost, low consumable cost
Thermal Inkjet Printer	Uses heat to pressurize and eject ink droplets towards the substrate	Anser U2 Models	400 x 300 DPI (height varies by model)	76.2 m/min	Low unit cost, moderately consumable cost
		Anser A1	600 x 600 DPI at 1” height (2” height with stitched print heights)	300 m/min with HP cartridges, 150 m/min with IUT cartridges	Moderate unit cost, moderate consumable cost
		Anser X1	600 x 600 DPI at 1” height (2” height with stitched print heights)	300 m/min	Moderate unit cost, moderate consumable cost
Laser Marking Solution	Creates a concentrated light beam to mark or engrave the substrate	F8100F Fiber, F8100C CO2, LDR 7100, & F8100U UV Laser Marking Systems	Lenses up to 300mm x 300mm	2,000 characters per second	High unit cost, little to no consumables

Continuous Inkjet Printers: DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, and Pigment

Continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers are non-contact production line printing systems designed to mark substrates moving at 300 m/min and above. Built with powerful ink circulation systems, CIJ printers can operate up to 24 hours daily without downtime. The wide ink compatibility and versatile printheads of CIJ printers equip metal pipe operations to outfit their products with high-quality, resilient codes.

InkJet, Inc’s comprehensive CIJ ink catalog is filled with formulas ideal for metal and steel pipe marking. Many of our formulas offer special properties as well, including:

Superior substrate adhesion
Ultra-quick dry times
Alcohol resistance
Sunlight resistance
Extreme temperature resistance
Oil/grease penetration
Condensation penetration
Soft and hard pigmentation

InkJet, Inc. carries three CIJ systems:

All DuraCode systems can mark porous and non-porous substrates at speeds up to 320 m/min. Equipped with an IP55 outer structure and able to operate in temperatures ranging from 41-113° F, the DuraCode CIJ can withstand potentially hazardous environmental elements to deliver consistently excellent results.

The DuraCode Keyboard and Touchscreen offer the same specifications and compatibility with ink formulas. The only difference between them is their input medium. The DuraCode Pigment has the same functionalities and specifications as the DuraCode Keyboard and Touchscreen but uses pigmented ink instead of dye ink.

See the chart below for a closer look at the DuraCode models’ most important specifications.

Specification	DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, & Pigment CIJ Printers
Nozzle	40, 50, 60, 70 μm
Print Height	1.2-15 mm
Maximum Print Speed	Up to 1,050 ft./min (320 m/min)
Print Distance	1-3 in. (25.4-76.2 mm)
Input System	Touchscreen or Standard Keyboard / WYSIWYG
Print Font	5x5, 7x5, 9x6, 11x8, 16x11, 24x17, 32x22
Operating Environment	Temperature: 5-45° C (41-113°F) Humidity: 0%-90%, no condensing
User Defined Field	Bar Code, QR Code, Logos, Clock, Counter, Classes, etc.
IP Rating	IP55 Industrial Protection
Gross Weight with Complete Package	45 kg / 99 lbs
Standard Features	Font library - Multi-language support - Traverse printing - 90-degree vertical printing - Special counter Counter replacement - Clock replacement - Encoder port - USB port - Ink recovery pump - Solvent flush pump - Micro print
Optional Add-Ons	Serial port - Network LAN connection - Positive air pump

Thermal Inkjet Printers: Anser X1, A1, and U2 Models

Thermal inkjet (TIJ) printers are smaller, lighter, and more cost-effective than CIJ systems. While CIJ systems typically weigh around 100 lbs and can cost well over $10,000, most TIJ models weigh 5-10 lbs and cost as low as $1,499.00.

Although thermal inkjet systems are compact and lightweight, they offer impressive coding specifications. For example, the Anser U2 Smart can create 400 x 300 DPI codes up to 0.5” tall (1” tall with the Anser U2 SmartOne). Higher-end TIJs like the Anser X1 can create 600 x 600 DPI codes up to 2” tall with stitched printheads. These qualities enable TIJ operators to complete product marking tasks as well as case coding applications.

TIJ printers are often designed for slower speed lines and intermittent coding tasks, but some TIJ models offer high-speed capabilities as well. InkJet, Inc. carries numerous TIJ printers of varying specialties and price points. Our current options include:

	The Anser U2 Pro-S Thermal Inkjet Printer: Compact, intuitive, and cost-effective, the Anser U2 Pro-S is an excellent choice for metal pipe applications that don’t require CIJ-level marking speeds. The Pro-S delivers a 76.2 m/min max speed, 400 x 300 DPI max resolution, and 0.5” print height, all for a low price of $1,699.00
	The Anser A1 Thermal Inkjet Printer: The first all-in-one TIJ that offers 2” printing and mid-message DPI adjustments, the Anser A1 is both powerful and affordable. Built with 2 cartridge slots, the A1 can create 2” tall markings with varying DPI elements (e.g., 300 DPI QR code with 150 DPI text). These qualities make the A1 an excellent case coding printer. For product marking applications, the A1 maxes out at 300 m/min with certain cartridges. Users control the A1 through a large touchscreen interface.
	The Anser X1 Thermal Inkjet Printer: Even though the Anser X1 is a thermal inkjet printer, you wouldn’t know that from its spec sheet. With printing speeds up to 300 m/min, the Anser X1 is one of the most powerful TIJs on the market today. Beyond industrial speed marking, the Anser X1 offers a 600 DPI max resolution, a 3.87” max print height (with stitched printheads), IP66 protection, and the ability to control two production lines simultaneously.

See the chart below for a closer look into how our TIJ options compare to one another:

InkJet, Inc’s Thermal Inkjet Printer Options
Specification	Anser U2 Pro-S	Anser A1	Anser X1
Max Printheads	1	2	2
Display	3.5” Color LCD with LED backlight	5” Color LCD Capacitive Touchscreen 480x800 (portrait)	7-inch Color LCD Capacitive Touchscreen (800 x 480 px)
Input Device	Pocket-sized IR remote keypad	Pocket-sized IR remote keypad	Pocket-sized IR remote keypad
Print Height	0.5”	1” with single printhead, 2” with stitched printheads	1” with single printhead, 2” with stitched printheads
Print Resolution	400 x 300 DPI	300 DPI	600 x 600 DPI
Print Speed	76.2 m/min	121 m/min	300 m/min
Print Distance	0.25” (6mm)	0.25” (6mm)	0.25” (6mm)
Operating Temp.	0°C ~ 40°C (32°F ~ 104°F)	5°C – 40°C (41°F – 104°F)	5°C – 40°C (41°F – 104°F)
IP Rating	N/A	N/A	IP66
Dimensions & Weight	(L/W/H) 4.5” x 3” x 2.4” 0.49kg (1.08 lb) – excluding cartridge and bracket	(L/W/H) 6.7” x 5.4” x 4.9” 1.8kg (3.97lb) w/o guide plate	(L/W/H) 11.5” x 5.6” x 2” 2.7kg (6lb)

Laser Marking Solutions: Fiber, CO2, and UV Laser Models

Laser marking systems are perfect for steel and metal pipe manufacturers that require high coding speeds, reliable accuracy, and exceptional code appearance. Laser users can mark and engrave pipes with visually appealing text, scannable codes, traceable serial numbers, and other essential markings.

Laser systems are more expensive than TIJ and CIJ printers upfront but do not use consumables. Moreover, they have minimal maintenance needs and do not require annual servicing. Depending on your product output, these factors can make laser marking more cost-effective than inkjet printing.

Inkjet Inc. offers four laser models:

Our laser systems offer similar specifications and benefits. The F8100F, F8100C, LDR7100, and F8100U provide:

Marking speeds up to 2000 characters/sec.
24/7 uninterrupted coding
Reliable ingress protections
Long laser tube life
Enhanced high-resolution mark quality
Plug-and-play laser module for easy line replacement
User-friendly control panel via computer or smartphone app

Material compatibility is the main difference between our laser options. Fiber, CO2, and UV lasers produce beams of different wavelengths. Beam wavelength significantly influences material compatibility, so it’s important to understand which laser technology best suits your substrates as you consider your system options.

This chart illustrates the material compatibility of fiber, CO2, and UV laser systems:

Laser Marking Material Compatibility
Metal Type	Fiber Laser	CO2 Laser	UV Laser
Steel	✔	✔	✔
Galvanized Steel	✔	✔	✔
Aluminum	✔	✔	✔
Titanium	✔	✔	✔
Copper	✔	✖	✔
Brass	✔	✖	✔
✔ = Full compatibility ✔ = Limited compatibility ✖ = No compatibility

See the chart below for a closer look into our laser systems’ most important specifications.

Specification	F8100F, F8100C, LDR7100, & F8100U Laser Systems
Marking Speed	Up to 2,000 characters/second
Line Speed	Up to 200 m/min
Wave Lengths	Fiber: 1,055 - 1,070nm CO2: 10.6um, 10.2um, and 9.3um LDR: 10.6um, 10.3um, and 9.3um UV: 355nm
Marking Formats	Standard industrial fonts (Windows TrueType®) and single line font Machine-readable codes (OCR, 2D matrix, etc.) Bar codes: code 128a, code 128B, code 128c, code39, code93, QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec-Code, Han Xin-Cod Graphics, logos, symbols, etc. Linear, circular, angular, reverse, rotate sequential, and batch numbering Automatic date, layer and time code, real-time clock
Laser Tube	Fiber: Ytterbium (YT) pulsed fiber laser CO2: Sealed CO2 laser LDR: Sealed CO2 laser UV: Solid-state UV laser
Beam Deflection	Steers beam with digital high-speed galvanometer scanners
User Interface	Personalized touch control screen with an easy-to-learn interface
Communication	UDP, TCP/IP, and RS232 Inputs for encoder and product detector triggers 4 inputs/4 outputs for start/stop signals, machine/operator interlocks, and alarm outputs (in addition to safety circuits) Customer-specific solutions are available
Integration	Flexible beam delivery options (beam extension unit/beam turning unit)
Cooling System	Air-cooled
Operating Environment	Temperature: 5-40° C (41-104°F) Humidity: 0%-90%, no condensing Inputs for encoder and product detector triggers
IP Rating	Cabinet: IP54 standard
Weight	Approx. 40 kg

InkJet, Inc’s Metal and Steel Pipe Marking Solutions Enhance Operational Efficiency

Improve your steel pipe marking processes with InkJet, Inc’s industrial coding solutions. Our continuous inkjet printers and laser marking systems are fortified against threatening environmental factors to deliver high-quality results 24/7. With our systems, you can enhance operational efficiency by increasing coding speeds, eliminating mistakes, and reducing downtime. Contact InkJet, Inc. today to discuss which solution is right for you.

To learn more about metal and steel pipe marking, contact us online today or call 1(800) 280-3245.