Instant Attention Grabber

There have also been advances in the oil heating systems used for hot-foil stamping. Contained oil heating systems—where the oil does not come in direct contact with the hot stamping cylinder itself—operate by feeding the oil into a hollow mandrel on which the cylinder (solid or magnetic) is ­affixed. “Heating in this manner is very ­efficient and avoids the possible mess of oil systems where the oil is pumped directly into the hot stamp cylinder,” says Lee. “These systems are generally built using larger diameter mandrels to keep the wall thickness of the hot stamping cylinder as thin as possible, optimizing heat transfer.” Other systems use electrically heated, oil-encapsulated mandrels, eliminating oil hoses and pumps next to the press.