Hand Held Dot Peen Marking Machines

What will you discover on this page?

• What is a handheld dot peen marking machine?
• Cordless, standard or heavy duty: three ways to mark on the move
• How to choose the best portable dot peen marking machine for your parts
• Why choose an Automator handheld dot peen marker
• Where portable dot peen marking systems make the difference
• Materials you can mark with a portable dot peen engraver
• Certified quality
• Automator: your one-stop shop for industrial marking

What is a hand-held dot peen marking machine?

A hand-held dot peen marking machine is a portable marker that engraves text, serial numbers, logos and 2D codes by striking the surface with a stylus that creates a sequence of tiny dots. You hold it against the part, so there's no need to lift heavy or bulky components onto a fixed station.

Portable dot peen marking is the go-to choice when you work with large castings, pipes, frames or welded assemblies, or when you need to mark in the warehouse, along the line or on site. The result is a permanent mark that resists abrasion, heat and chemicals and stays readable for the whole life of the product. 

Want to dig deeper into the technology? Here's how dot peen marking works and when to use it.

Cordless, standard or heavy duty: three ways to mark on the move

Not all portable dot peen marking systems are the same. The right one depends on three things: where you work, how big your parts are and whether you have compressed air nearby. Our range covers three families.

Cordless: the battery-operated dot peen marking machine

The ADP2560BA is a battery-operated dot peen marking machine with no cables and no air hose. It comes with two 18V batteries that fully recharge in about an hour and a half (charger included), so one can work while the other charges. The controller is built into the unit, it weighs just 3 kg and it marks a 25x60 mm area. 

It's perfect for maintenance teams, warehouses and jobs where power outlets or compressed air are out of reach.

Standard: pneumatic portable markers for everyday production

The portable versions of the ADP2560, ADP25120 and ADP5090 are the workhorses of the range. They use a pneumatic stylus (the ADP25120 and ADP5090 are also available with an electric solenoid stylus) and work with an external controller, such as the AC500 with its 7-inch color touch screen. 

Choose the marking area based on what you need to mark:

• 25x60 mm (ADP2560): serial numbers, dates and short codes.
• 25x120 mm (ADP25120): long lines of text.
• 50x90 mm (ADP5090): logos, DataMatrix codes and multi-line data.

Heavy duty: a large marking area for big parts

The ADP120160 portable is designed for large components and big marking fields. It offers a 120x160 mm marking area, two ergonomic grips (one with a start trigger) and a front mask with magnets that helps keep the marker steady on metal surfaces. 

Pick it when you need to mark nameplate data, large logos or several lines of information on heavy steel parts.

How to choose the best portable dot peen marking machine for your parts

There's no single best portable dot peen marking machine for everyone: there's the one that fits your parts and the way you work.

Four questions will point you in the right direction:

1. Where will you mark? If you move around the plant or work on site, a cordless model gives you total freedom. If you always mark in the same area and have compressed air, a pneumatic marker is a solid choice.
2. How big is the mark? Measure the space your text, logo or code needs. Our portable models go from 25x60 mm up to 120x160 mm.
3. What do you need to mark? Serial numbers, dates, logos, DataMatrix or QR codes: all our models handle text and 2D codes. For large logos or many lines, go for a wider marking area.
4. Will the part be painted or treated afterwards? With the right stylus and settings, the mark can be made deeper so it stays readable. Here's more on marking components that will be painted.

Still not sure? Tell us what you need to mark and on which material: our technicians will suggest the model that really fits your job, with no guesswork.

Why choose an Automator handheld dot peen marker

An Automator handheld dot peen marker is built to make your daily work simpler, with low running costs and marks you can trust:

• No consumables: no inks, no labels. The only part that wears out is the stylus, so running costs stay low.
• Easy to set up: character height, position and marking parameters are set by software, and you can store as many marking programs as you need.
• Text, logos and 2D codes: serial numbers, dates, arcs, logos, DataMatrix and QR codes for full traceability.
• Flat, curved or uneven surfaces: dot peen keeps the mark readable even on surfaces that aren't perfectly flat.
• Light and ergonomic: starting from just 3 kg, designed to be held steady during marking.
• Ready to connect: on pneumatic models, the AC500 controller offers Ethernet, RS232/485, USB and I/O connections to receive data from your systems.

Want to see how it performs on your parts? Send us a request and we'll walk you through the options.

Certified quality

Automator has been ISO 9001 IQNet certified since 2003 and holds CISQ certification. For you, this means machines designed and built under a certified quality system, with consistent performance over time.

Automator: your one-stop shop for industrial marking

Since 1940, Automator Marking Systems has focused only on industrial marking. Our US team in Chillicothe, Ohio, supports you before and after the purchase, with technical assistance whenever you need it.