“My work begins where the specification stops: understanding what the customer actually needs, and translating that into an architecture which holds the production rate on the shop floor.” Fabien Nicot, Technical Director
Each production line has its own set of constraints: a particular component, a production rate to maintain, a harsh environment, a workstation to fit into. Our SPE special machines are marking solutions and traceability solutions designed and manufactured to order, based on your requirements. SIC Marking offers standard as well as bespoke solutions for the permanent marking and traceability of components.
Over and above the component marking conditions, the intrinsic characteristics of the component determine which marking technology is the most relevant (laser, dot peen or scribing) and which machine is appropriate (power, speed, portability and so on). The material, and likewise any treatment of the surface to be engraved, are decisive factors.
Where the component, the production rate, the environment or the integration go beyond the scope of off-the-shelf equipment, the special machine approaches the problem the other way round: the required result is defined first, and the equipment that will guarantee it is then designed.
Our role here is not to sell you a machine, but to design the one you need. We rely on 30 years’ experience in industrial marking, on the full range of marking technologies the company has mastered, and on expertise covering every industrial sector. Our portfolio of standard and bespoke solutions enables us to meet each customer’s particular requirements, with innovations that take account of the constraints specific to each sector.
Upstream, we advise you on the most appropriate marking technology: the decision hinges on the type of material, the precision required, the production volume, how often the equipment will be used, the durability of the marking, the budget and the environmental conditions, once your requirements have been analysed in detail. Support then carries on through our network of subsidiaries and distributors, which look after promotion, implementation and customer support, together with the local roll-out of the solutions.
Requirements study: We examine the component, the identifier, the production rate and the environment in order to convert your need into a precise specification.
Design: We lay down the machine architecture: marking technology, mechanical engineering, control systems and project-specific developments.
Sourcing: Purchasing of the standard components and of the specific or made-to-measure items needed for the machine.
Manufacture: The marking machine is built, assembled and programmed in our workshop, with validation by the customer.
Integration: We install the machine on your line and link it to your PLCs, your ERP system and your existing equipment.
Commissioning: We set up and validate the industrial machine under actual production conditions.
After-sales: Training, maintenance and support ensure the machine remains reliable over time.
SIC Marking has mastered three industrial marking technologies: dot peen, laser and scribing.
What these technologies have in common is that none of them needs consumables, neither labels nor ink, which gives highly durable marking.
Our marking and traceability solutions satisfy the regulatory and normative requirements of the most tightly regulated sectors. According to the sector and the component concerned, they come under the following frameworks in particular:
A number of application cases illustrate this bespoke approach, sector by sector:
An automotive subcontractor was looking to automate the marking of trays loaded with heavy components, subject to three requirements: a standalone laser station integrated with its ERP system for the traceability of works orders, rapid uninterrupted cycles, and workstation ergonomics. SIC Marking delivered an XXLBOX 1200 laser station fitted with a drawer and a ball transfer table capable of supporting up to 80 kg, precise locating fixtures and the SIC Factory Automation software for smooth integration with the ERP.
Bosch Rexroth produces hydraulic directional valves, in particular for excavator suppliers; their machined steel spools, cylindrical components made in several variants, have to be identified prior to assembly at a rate of one tray every minute. The XXL-BOX laser station installed detects each tray automatically by means of sensors, matches the information against the recipe held in the SIC Factory Automation software and warns the operator should there be any discrepancy, thereby removing the principal cause of human error without lengthening the cycle.
In order to mark the chassis number or VIN on motorcycle, scooter and quad bike frames, purpose-built tooling had to be devised to help keep the marking gun steady against each zone to be marked. The tooling, tailored to each zone, attaches directly to the dot peen marking gun, which is suspended from a balancer and pressed against the frames by a pneumatic clamping cylinder.
A world leader in technologies and solutions for the medical sector wished to mark implants prior to bending: a bespoke, individual marking for a specific patient, carried out on straight rods before the component is shaped.
A manufacturer of medical instruments was looking to build a high-rate marking system into its production line, without impairing the product’s anti-corrosion protection; a cobot takes care of loading and unloading the components automatically.
An aerospace manufacturer sought to improve the marking of various references of landing gear carbon disc brakes: swapping marking by machining for laser technology and adding a Data Matrix code so as to optimise its production process.
SIC Marking has designed and manufactured industrial marking solutions since 1992: the group has never stopped growing, through development in new sectors, by winning over local and international customers and by making numerous acquisitions. Its international presence rests on 10 subsidiaries (France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, the United States, Mexico, China and Korea) and 40 exclusive distribution partners, serving over 50 countries.
Each SPE machine begins with a study of your process. Our experts are able to advise you on the most suitable solution once your requirements have been analysed in detail.
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