Handheld Pneumatic Scribing Machine for Steel VIN Plates
Handheld pneumatic scribing head with its own control box: 130-300 Hz scribing instead of impact, under 60 dB, 0.01-1.0 mm deep, 0.02 mm repeatable on 0.2-0.8 MPa air. No dust, no heat-affected zone, no laser class.
Scribing noise below 60 dB, with 0.2–0.8 MPa air pressure. The stylus marks without chip ejection, reducing metal dust and eliminating post-marking cleanup.
Marking depth from 0.01–1.0 mm with 0.02 mm repeatability. Supports clear, durable characters, text, graphics, and symbols on 120 × 30 mm or 150 × 40 mm marking fields.
Powered by under 400 W and 0.2–0.8 MPa compressed air, with only one tungsten-carbide stylus as a consumable. No laser source, lens, or chiller required.
This is a scribing head, not an impact hammer. A solenoid drives the stylus along the line at 130-300 Hz, so the metal is displaced in a continuous groove rather than punched point by point. That single change explains the rest of the page: measured noise stays under 60 dB, no chips leave the surface, and air consumption stays low because nothing is being accelerated into the workpiece and stopped again hundreds of times a second. Depth is set between 0.01 and 1.0 mm, repeatability is 0.02 mm, and the marking field is 120 x 30 mm or 150 x 40 mm, with other sizes built to order. The head carries its own stand-off feet: you hold it against a chassis rail, a mould or a frame in place, with no gantry and no fixture, which is the case it was designed for. Because the stylus only presses and drags, there is no heat-affected zone and no laser class to manage – no goggles, no fence, no interlock on site.
| Parameter | Specification |
| Air Pressure Range | 0.2-0.8Mpa |
| Repetitive Accuracy | 0.02mm |
| Scribing Depth | 0.01-1mm Scribing Width (depending on material) |
| Scribing Noise | <60dB |
| Equipment Power | <400W |
| Impact Frequency | 130-300Hz |
| Marking Area | 120mm*30mm / 150mm*40mm (Other areas customizable) |
| Marking Content | Numbers, characters, graphics, text, common symbols |
| Applicable Materials | Various metal or non-metal workpieces with hardness < HRC60 |
Size, Weight and Operating Conditions
| Item | Value |
| Package size | 50 x 60 x 90 cm (head plus control box) |
| Gross weight | 50 kg packed |
| Operating position | Any orientation; the part stays still and the head moves |
| Surface condition | Marks through paint, oil and mill scale; clean the contact point when depth has to be uniform |
| Ambient | Normal workshop temperature; the air must be dry, moisture spoils consistency |
| Consumable | One tungsten-carbide stylus, replaced when worn. Nothing else. |
Features
Long-lasting Marking
The groove is cut into the metal, not printed on top of it. Depth is set between 0.01 and 1.0 mm, so the character survives paint, blasting and years of handling, and there is no layer to peel off – the mark is the substrate itself. On stainless and carbon steel the numbers read as deep as the parent metal, which is why VIN and chassis marks stay legible long after the paint has gone.
Low-cost Operation
The power source is compressed air at 0.2-0.8 MPa, and the whole set draws under 400 W from a normal socket. There is no lens, no laser source, no chiller and no filter to schedule. Maintenance comes down to one part: replace the tungsten-carbide stylus when it wears. For a shop marking a few hundred parts a day, that is the entire running cost.
Various Fonts Available
The controller carries a full keyboard and a screen: characters, digits, punctuation and symbol sets are typed on the panel, and graphics are imported from the software, so an OEM part number, a non-Latin script or a customer’s own font is entered exactly like a serial number. Positioning does not depend on the font either – 0.02 mm repeatability and a 120 x 30 mm or 150 x 40 mm field keep every character on the line.
High-Frequency Impact Marking Needle
Stylus shape decides what the mark looks like. The fine stylus suits small characters and tight spacing; the conical stylus drives deeper into cast and forged surfaces; the flat, lens-shaped tip leaves a mirror-smooth face aligned with the engraving angle, so the characters catch light instead of scattering it. All of them run on the same head and are changed without tools.
Material Compatibility
| Group | Typical parts | Marks | Note |
| Carbon steel / low-carbon steel / alloy steel | Chassis, frames, flanges, sections, cast blanks | Yes | Main material; 0.3-0.5 mm depth is stable |
| Stainless steel 304 / 316 | VIN tags, food and medical housings, valve bodies | Yes | Deeper than laser and leaves the passivation look intact |
| Cast iron / ductile iron | Engine blocks, gearbox cases, pump bodies | Yes | Holds up on a rough cast surface |
| Aluminium / anodised aluminium | Chassis parts, mould bases, nameplates | Yes | The oxide layer rolls with the groove; characters stay crisp |
| Copper alloys / precious metals | Electrodes, contacts, decorative parts | Yes | – |
| Galvanised / plated steel (Cr, Ni, Zn) | Sheet-metal parts, brackets | Yes | Coating sinks with the groove instead of flaking |
| Titanium / magnesium alloys | Aerospace parts, consumer housings | Yes | – |
| Powder metallurgy / magnetic materials | Gear blanks, motor magnets | Yes | – |
| Hardware & tools / fasteners | Spanners, bolts, mould numbers | Yes | The standard job for batch serial numbers |
| Wood / bamboo / MDF | Crates, craft parts, tool handles | Yes | The one non-metal group that works as a set |
| Marble / granite | Metrology bases, nameplates | Yes | Shallow pass is enough; keep depth under 0.05 mm |
| Battery housings / electrode sheets | Cell cans, module trays | Yes | Housings yes; electrode sheets need a locating fixture |
Explore the Materials You Can Engrave with Our Pneumatic Scribing
| Material Category | Pneumatic Scribing |
| Metals | |
| Stainless Steel (304 / 316) | √ |
| Carbon Steel / Mild Steel | √ |
| Alloy Steel / Tool Steel (SKD11, H13) | √ |
| Hardened Steel (HRC > 50) | X |
| Cast Iron / Ductile Iron | √ |
| Aluminum & Alloys | √ |
| Anodized Aluminum | √ |
| Copper & Brass | √ |
| Galvanized / Zinc-Coated Steel | √ |
| Titanium & Alloys | √ |
| Magnesium Alloy | √ |
| Precious Metals (Au / Ag / Pt) | √ |
| Cemented Carbide / Tungsten Steel | X |
| Powder Metallurgy / Sintered Parts | √ |
| Magnetic Materials (NdFeB, Silicon Steel) | √ |
| Electroplated Parts (Cr / Ni / Zn) | √ |
| Painted & Powder-Coated Metal | √ |
| Metal Foil & Thin Sheet (< 0.5 mm) | X |
| Medical Instruments & Implants (UDI) | √ |
| Hardware, Tools & Fasteners | √ |
| Plastics & Rubber | |
| ABS | ABS | √ |
| PC (Polycarbonate) | √ |
| ABS + PC Alloy | √ |
| PP / PE | √ |
| PVC | √ |
| PMMA / Acrylic (clear) | √ |
| POM / PEEK | √ |
| PA / Glass-Fiber Reinforced Nylon | √ |
| TPU / TPE Elastomer | X |
| Silicone Rubber | X |
| Epoxy / Bakelite | √ |
| Laser-Markable Plastics (doped) | √ |
| Plastic Film & Label | X |
| Rubber (NR / NBR / EPDM) | X |
| Foam (EVA / EPE / Sponge) | X |
| Leather, Textile, Paper & Wood | |
| Genuine Leather | X |
| PU / PVC Synthetic Leather | X |
| Fabric & Textile | X |
| Denim & Garment | X |
| Non-Woven Fabric | X |
| Paper & Cardboard | X |
| Corrugated Carton | X |
| Paper Label & Barcode | X |
| Wood & MDF | √ |
| Bamboo & Cork | √ |
| Glass, Ceramic & Stone | |
| Glass | X |
| Quartz Glass | X |
| Crystal & Gemstone (incl. 3D inner engraving) | X |
| Ceramic (Daily & Art Ware) | X |
| Electronic Ceramics (Al₂O₃ / AlN / Piezo) | X |
| Glazed Tile | X |
| Marble & Granite | X |
| Concrete & Cement Products | X |
| Sapphire & Optical Crystal | X |
| Electronics & Semiconductor | |
| PCB / FPC | X |
| Silicon Wafer | X |
| IC Package & Semiconductor Device | X |
| Electronic Components | X |
| Cable & Wire | X |
| Keypad & Switch | X |
| Battery Shell & Electrode | √ |
| Coatings & Others | |
| Paint & Coating (ablation marking) | X |
| PTFE / Teflon Coating | X |
| Carbon Fiber & Composites | X |
| Abrasives & Grinding Wheels | X |
| Food, Eggshell, Produce | X |
Marking Samples
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