Which stencil will suit your application?
The stencil which will best suit your application will depend on the type of information you need to print.
The options available below have proven to be popular with Australian hospitals - however we can easily supply customised stencils to suit your individual application of that stencil is not listed below.
Simply Email Trend Marking Systems Australia with the details of your message and we will recommend the best alternative.
OPTION 1.
Pre-printed long-life stencils (permanent stencils)
Permanent stencils are PRE-PRINTED by us with a special material - using the list of messages you specify. Simply e-mail, fax or post us your list and we will manufacture these stencils. The permanent stencils are used for messages which repeat fairly often (such as marking "THEATRES" or "ORTHOPAEDIC"). Each message can mark up to 3000 parts! Permanent stencils are usually produced in strips containing 30 of your messages (25 characters each). As a standard we use a font size of 1.5mm high (6 pt). However, should you wish more messages or different sizes, this is easily done by us, simply specify what you require. THIS IS A VERY POPULAR HOSPITAL OPTION
OPTION 2.
PT Hand-held stencil ribbon printer
This is a hand-held printer which prints the message on an 18mm x 3metre ribbon (contained inside the printer). Simply type the message and press "print", then tear off the ribbon with the print. The print will mark 5-10 parts. As an additional bonus, this unit can also print adhesive labels for labelling shelves and folders etc, (although we recommend you never use adhesive labels on surgical instruments)
OPTION 3.
Serial numbering (date marking) stencil
The numbering stencil works by mounting special numbered stencil strips into a plastic cover.
The desired message is obtained by pulling the individual strips until the number appears in the small window cutouts (like the dating stamps in a library)
This number can then be etched onto the instrument, and to advance to the next number, simply pull the strip to the next digit.
OPTION 4.
Disposable Fibre Paper stencil sheets
Fibre Paper stencils can be printed in-house (by you) by the following methods:
1. Manual impact typewriter (eg daisy-wheel)
2. Computer dot-matrix printer
3. Metal Stamp
4. Hand-written with empty ballpoint or other pointed object
The stencil is used to etch the instrument(s). Usually one printed message will etch 10-15 instruments. After use, the portion of the sheet that was used can be discarded.
Still not sure? Simply Email Trend Marking Systems Australia with the details of your message and we will recommend the best alternative.
More information:
- Instrument marking introduction
- How the instrument etching system operates
- Stencil Options for Instrument Identification