Microstamping Manufacturing
IFM1050 Microstamping System
The IFM1050 is a modular laser CNC platform for forming microstamping structures onto metal components used to manufacture firearms. Designed for ease of use, the IFM1050 receives an eight-digit code through its onboard computer server. The server digitally translates the code into a corresponding NC base G-Code/M-code sequence to laser process a firearm component with a specific microstamping element.
IFM1050 is part of a series of tools dedicated to microstamping manufacturing or IFM, or Intentional Firearm Microstamping.
With an enhanced series of automation options, the IFM modular laser system can be outfitted with various material handling automation, including bowl feeders, robotic systems, and pallet/conveyor systems.
Technology
Optical Character Recognition Software
OCR is an off the shelf software used to enhance decoding. This is done through the standardizing of font size for specific firearm mechanisms, and by establishing the area of occupation for each letter, number and symbol.
There are six primary algorithms that such software employs for identifying, extracting and quantifying IFM codes:
1. Intentional Firearm Microstamp Code Localization (IFMCL) – responsible for finding and isolating the code on the micrograph relative to landmarks or other features embedded in the IFM.
2. Intentional Firearm Microstamp Code Orientation and Sizing (IFMCOS) – compensates for the degradations of the IFM code consistent with the firing process and adjusts the dimensions to established code rules.
3. Intentional Firearm Microstamp Normalization (IFMN) – adjusts the brightness, contrast, gamma and other quality attributes of the image.
4. Intentional Firearm Microstamp Character Segmentation (IFMCS) – finds the individual characters on the microstamped cartridge.
5. Intentional Firearm Microstamp Optical Character Recognition (IFMOCR)
6. Intentional Firearm Microstamp Syntactical/Geometrical Analysis (IFMSGA) – analyses character orientations and locations against specific rules governing the caliber and cycle of fire attributes.
Circular Gear Codes
Circular gear codes found around the perimeter of the pin impression are best extracted using graphical computer software. Decoding gear codes require a means of measuring in a polar coordinate system. Such measurements are best done by layering angular overlays of gear code digit dividers resembling cuts in a pie.
Products
Discover our IFM systems for industry implementation and microstamping manufacturing