An Italian producer of traditional musical instruments got in touch with us this month, looking for a new scribing machine to replace their French one, which stopped working. During the initial call, they mentioned that they had been using the machine to mark high-end brass instruments like trumpets, horns, trombones, and tubas for many years. Additionally, the rising costs of consumable needles made their old machines even more unviable than they already were. Their search for affordable alternatives earlier this year led them to our company.

Initial Evaluation and Testing

Initially, there was uncertainty about whether our scribing system could effectively mark the thickness of their instrument samples. After detailed discussions, the customer decided to first order an electric version of our machine to ensure compatibility with their anniversary product line. To further assess feasibility, they sent us several damaged trumpet and trombone samples via international courier, allowing us to test the marking precision of our system.

Successful Trial with Rotary Jig

As we expected, our rotary jig with a planetary gearbox performed remarkably well while engraving the provided trumpet. After a few adjustments to the air pressure guidelines, we were able to achieve optimal results on the very first attempt. The customer was extremely pleased with the sample video sent and accepted our quotation immediately. Nevertheless, as marked samples undergo further evaluation, such as internal wall deformation and acoustic cutting assessments, compliance with stringent quality standards will require in-depth scans for interval precision cuts termed scribing.

Technical Setbacks And Alterations

One prominent issue stems from the client’s design specifications, which often repeat short lines. This presents continuous marking difficulties because of how short these stretches are. As demonstrated in the video, you can observe how often the head pulls back after marking about 5mm worth of progress in each line spacing transition to “jump” into progress almost like a sculpting snail approach with a bunch of miniature motions. Although this technique is slow and painstaking, it does provide impressive versatility in regard to complicated contour-shaped markings.

Broadening Scope Beyond Industrial Applications

Our scribing systems have been in use for over a decade with major industrial suppliers for traceability purposes, including Direct Part Marking (DPM) on automotive and machinery parts. We’ve recently witnessed increased demand coming from the luxury consumer segments. For example, last year we received tender invitations from Swiss mechanical watch companies looking for personalised exterior engraving services.

To address these high-end needs, we have customised our systems to engrave not just flat but also curved geometries of logos, manufacturer details, model numbers, and other custom markings. With appropriate adjustments to air pressure and some other factors, we are able to maintain uniform, high-quality results across different material thicknesses.

Diverse Industry Adoption

Beyond musical instruments, our scribing systems have been adopted by a select group of mechanical and smartwatch manufacturers, as well as precious metal jewelry brands. Additionally, several banking clients have transitioned from our pneumatic dot-matrix systems to scribing solutions for marking investment bullion, ensuring permanent, tamper-proof engravings of purity and weight.

If your business requires permanent, anti-counterfeiting, and aesthetically superior marking solutions, we invite you to contact us. Our expertise spans industrial traceability, luxury personalization, and specialized applications—all backed by precision engineering and reliable performance.