How the Minietch hospital marking system operates

Surgical Instrument Etching System

MiniEtch in optional storage/transport suitcase

Operation of the instrument etching system

The instrument etcher works by passing a low-voltage current (only about 8V) through a pre-printed stencil.

The current is transferred through the gaps in the stencil using a harmless electrolyte fluid.The imprint on the stencil is transferred onto the product in around 2-3 seconds by pressing the marking head onto the metal instrument, with the stencil in between.

Therefore the process involves:

Choose a stencil option
Set up the marking unit
Mark your parts

A range of stencils are available to suit the type of info you wish to mark

1. Selecting a suitable stencil option

Depending on the information you need to mark onto the instrument, there are a number of different stencils available.

A stencil contains the message you wish to transfer onto the part.

There are both pre-printed long-life stencils or short-life stencils which you can print yourself as required.

The types of markings we can accomplish include:

Hospital names
Asset numbers for tracking systems
Date marks
Doctor's names
Instrument tray identification
Hospital logos

More info

2. Setting up the unit

Setting up the unit is fast & easy

Step 1 -Plug in marking unit and leads Connect the power plug to a power socket(1). Plug the red and blue wires into the sockets at the back of the unit (2). Once the unit is set-up, you can leave everything plugged in. The MiniEtch requires NO MAINTENANCE!
Step 2 - Attach red/blue leads Clip the blue lead alligator clip to a metal plate (1) or directly onto the instrument(2). Clip the red lead to the marking head (3). The marking head holds a felt pad and a thin mesh which improves the print quality (sect 3)
Step 3 - Prepare the marking head 1. Cut a small piece of Black Felt to the same dimensions as your marking head. 2. Cut a piece of Conductive Net to overlap the marking head on all sides by about 15mm. 3. Clip the cassette on the marking head so that it holds the Net and Felt in place.
Step 4 - Moisten the marking head pad. Wet the marking head with an applicator or dip it in some electrolyte from a container and "squeegee" against the sides. Briefly re-moisten the head every 5-10 prints. Electrolyte is NOT A VOLATILE CHEMICAL and is SAFE to handle.

Now the unit is ready to mark parts. No warm-up is required and the felt pads will last up to 1000 prints before cutting a new section from the supply. Every 5 etchings or so you need only to quickly re-moisten the pad.

3. Marking the part.

Simply place the instrument on the base plate (or touch the clip to it), position your printed stencil and press the marking head down on the imprint in the stencil. The mark is completed in 2-3 seconds!!!

1.Marking the part with a single permanent stencil in a plastic frame

2. Close-up of marked instrument

Related general metal etching information:
Metal Etching overview | Manual metal etching systems | Semi-automatic metal etchers

Non-Contact Inkjet Printers Hi-Res HP Inkjet Marking NEW! Electrolytic Metal Etching Hot Quick Coders Contact Roller Coders NEW!Reciprocating Ink Coders Dot Mark ID Marking Precision Ink Imprinters Pinmark Engraving Equipment

More information

Instrument marking introduction
How the instrument etching system operates

Stencil Options for Instrument Identification

General

Metal etching systems

Manual etching units

Semi-Automatic etching units

Brochure downloads

Hospitals

eu80-hospital-setup-guide.pdf
hospital-brochure+stencils.pdf
hospital-permanent-stencil-information.pdf
hospital-stencil-options.pdf
hospital-strip-examples.pdf
index.php

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Surgical Instrument Etching

Thank you for visiting Trend Marking Systems. If you are still unsure as to which printing machine is most suited to your particular application, please contact us for advice on which systems might suit your needs.

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