MATTHEWS DEMONSTRATES FIVE NEW MARKING PRODUCTS
FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS AT IMTS08 SHOW USING VALVE
INK-JET, CONTINUOUS INK-JET, FIBER LASER AND INDENT MARKING TECHNOLOGIES; HOLJERON DISPLAYS DEVICENET I/O COMPONENTS AND CONTROLLERS

Chicago, IL, September 8, 2008 – Matthews Marking Products is demonstrating five new products for industrial marking/product identification applications, using a broad range of technologies, from ink-jet to fiber laser to indent marking, in booth #B-6520 in the North Hall of McCormick Place at the IMTS08 show September 8-13.   Matthews controls/material handling subsidiary, Holjeron, is also displaying a range of distributed I/O and specialty electrical control components for machines using DeviceNet or other industrial networks.  

The newest marking products are the I-Mark™ V84 (for end users) and V84i (for OEMs) printing controllers, capable of driving up to four Series 8000 drop-on-demand (DOD) valve ink-jet printheads and four photocells/triggers; the newly enhanced C84e continuous ink-jet (CIJ) printer for small character printing; the e-SolarMark FL fiber laser printer for permanent marking on metal or metalized materials; and the ProPoint P31 industrial indent marking system for automotive, machine shop and other applications. Holjeron’s newest control component is the Aqua Series process I/O module for use in extreme production environments.
Matthews has provided product marking/identification systems to industrial customers for more than 150 years. 

NEW V84 DOD ink-jet controller with large color touchscreen
Matthews new I-Mark™ V84, at the head of the company’s Drop-on-Demand (DOD) ink-jet printing controller family, is ideal for printing up to 4-5 lines of text, graphics/logos, and bar codes on porous and non-porous surfaces.  It features an easy-to-use 10.4 inch color touchscreen interface.  The V84 can drive either standard printheads or Matthews’ new low ink-consumption, high-resolution 8000 Series DOD printheads, which last five times longer than other DOD printheads. 
Instead of global settings, the V84 allows for independent control of up to four DOD printheads to allow for maximum flexibility.  Icon-based navigation and WYSIWYG format simplify message set-up and changes.  Most printer functions are easily completed in a minute or less, saving time and money. Maximum print speed is 680 fpm (feet per minute) and characters may be from 3/32 in. (2.38mm) to 5 in. (127 mm) high, depending on printheads used.  The V84 uses fast-dry, pigmented, dye and water-based inks in a wide range of colors.

NEWEST V84i DOD ink-jet controller for OEMs – simplified protocol for easy integration

The I-Mark™ V84i is a special OEM version of the V84 controller and is Matthews newest product.  Thanks to a simplified communications protocol, the V84i (which comes without a touchscreen) can be easily integrated with other components, such as touchscreen interfaces, power supplies, PLCs and other hardware, keeping overall machine development costs low.  Several V84i controllers can also be networked together in a highly structured printing system where each controller can drive multiple printheads on each production line.  The controllers would be individually addressed and communicate with each other.
 
NEW I-Mark™ C84e continuous ink-jet small character marking system – easy to use, low maintenance

Matthews newly enhanced C84e continuous ink-jet (CIJ) system prints up to 4 lines of text from .05 in -.61 in. (1.25 mm-15.6 mm) high at a maximum line speed of 1,050 ft. per minute.  It may be used to print expiration dates, batch codes, logos and bar codes on porous or non-porous materials.   A large (10.4 in.), easy-to-read and use, color, icon-based touchscreen and single button controls for jet startup/shutdown make it both simple to operate and easy to create and edit messages.  A new solvent pump and improved start-up/shut-down programming enable the C84e to start and shut down efficiently without the need for manual cleaning or maintenance.  Functionality additions include more remote programming capabilities and the ability to create customized counters, date, time, shift and expiry codes.  Further raster development has resulted in exceptional print quality. 

NEW fiber laser system for on-the-fly marking on metal materials

The new e-SolarMark FL fiber laser marking system from Matthews provides on-the-fly or stationary permanent high-quality small character marking/coding of metal materials.  With no consumables and an average life of 30,000 working hours, the air-cooled laser marking system requires less space – and consumes less energy than comparable YAG lasers. As a standard feature, the new system has the ability to turn text/code 90° and therefore print horizontally or vertically anywhere within the marking area.  Competing systems require programming or remounting of the laser head to accomplish this, according to Joe Arnold, Matthews’ Product Manager.

NEW ProPoint P31 indent marking system with new 10.4 in. GUI

Matthews new ProPoint P31 permanent indent marking system is ideal for applications, where a permanent mark showing product name, serial number, shift number or other information provides traceability for the life of the product.   The ProPoint P31 is an upgraded version of the company’s highly successful 2331 Model.  Setup and modification of the mark is easier with the new, larger (10.4 in) Graphic User Interface.  The P31 prints within a 1 in. x 3 in. window. In addition to the new products, Matthews will also display its low-cost SX32 DOD valve inkjet printing controller, MB21 impact press, offset printer and show videos of the Coditherm direct thermal transfer printer.

ELECTRONIC CONTROLS: NEW Holjeron Aqua process I/O module for extreme production environments

For production environments with extreme temperatures and humidity levels, Holjeron’s new Aqua Series process I/O modules for DeviceNet are fully potted and sealed to NEMA 6P and IP68 specifications.  These modules also feature extensive protection against shock and vibration, while delivering fast response times and high resolution. Holjeron is also displaying its low-cost, rugged DIN-rail mounted BusBlock I/O modules, and specialty devices such as motor starter controllers with interlock, multiple lens light stacks with integral flashers, and fully
customizable lighted and unlighted push button stations in both plastic and metal enclosures.  Controllers for 24v powered roller conveyors are also on display.  The company specializes in embedded control solutions such as CAN Network master devices, serial port interface modules, and custom machine control boards for OEM equipment manufacturers.