Value-Added Applications for Hot Stamping Machinery

United Silicone
Designers and Manufacturers of Product Decorating Equipment and Supplies

United Silicone’s hot stamping machines, which combine precision head travel, adjustable stamping pressure, and accurate temperature control can be used for a variety of assembly applications. These processes include part insertion, heat staking, heat sealing/packaging, degating, and swaging. Figures 1 through 3 show typical examples of some of these processes.

Part Insertion
Part Insertion can be performed by slightly modifying the hot stamping machine’s program. The part insertion process is used for assembling metal parts into plastic components. This interference-fit process is performed by inserting a metal part into a pre-molded hole, which is smaller than the part. The hot stamping machine applies sufficient heat to soften the plastic, while applying the required force to press the part into the hole. The stamping machine’s adjustable heat and pressure, combined with job-specific tooling, ensure optimum uniformity and quality in this widely used process.

Figure 1 Insertion

Heat Staking

Heat Staking can be performed by slightly modifying the hot stamping machine’s program. By fitting specially designed tooling to the heater head, the hot stamping machine is converted to a thermal staking machine. The heat staking process is commonly used for metal-to-plastic assembly. A common example of this application is the attachment of metal to plastic bases. Through innovative tooling design, United Silicone machines can stake several posts in place simultaneously. Tooling is devised to accommodate various heights and other variations of the plastic part. Heat staking may also be used for dome and flush staking as shown

Figure 2 Heat Staking

Heat Sealing/Packaging

Joining parts using heat-sensitive adhesives is a common practice in modern industry. One example is the sealing of plastic tear strips to copier and laser printer cartridges. In this application, the hot stamping machine is fitted with custom tooling designed to precisely match the cartridge contour, thereby providing air-tight sealing of the tear strip. For packaging applications, the hot stamping machine is used to seal plastic blister containers to the cardboard backing. The heat-sensitive adhesive on the cardboard is activated by the hot stamping head, which also supplies the pressure needed to seal the package. 

Degating and Swaging

Degating and swaging are additional applications for hot stamping machines. Degating employs a hot stamping machine to heat a knife used to sever injection-molded parts from their carriers. Swaging is used to join two parts together by forming a thermoplast over a dissimilar material. The combination of heat, pressure, and custom tooling required for these processes makes them ideal applications for versatile hot stamping machinery.

Figure 3 Swaging