Kingsley, a division of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)
Acquired in December of 1995 by ITW's Norwood Marking Systems in Downers Grove, Illinois (USA), Kingsley added new wire printing specialties to Norwood's hot stamp printing systems for products and packaging.
Kingsley's applications engineering capabilities have increased based on access to ITW's additional resources. This affiliation has generated Kingley's new approach to customer service and satisfaction in the ITW tradition.
A History of Innovation
In 1932, Lewis Kingsley invented a hot stamping machine with curved face type for imprinting the round surface of fountain pens. Nine years later, what began as a method of imprinting pens quickly revolutionized aviation wire harness manufacturing.
With the need for increased production at the beginning of World War II, the U.S. Navy challenged Kingsley to re-tool his hot stamp machinery for wire printing. Within weeks, hundreds of machines were re-tooled and shipped to government contractors across the country. New type sizes were designed for narrow gauge wire and specialized foil formulas were developed for a variety of insulation materials.
By war's end, the patented Kingsley wire identification system—now motorized—had become the standard of every major airframe manufacturer in the country.
A Future of Development
In the decades since, Kingsley has expanded into the military, aerospace, transportation, electronics and medical device markets. Looking to the future, Kingsley's machinery is progressively becoming more modularized as it evolves toward a new generation of programmable printing (see "What's New" for the new Modprint 2000A).
Kingsley continues to develop machine advancements for expanded measure, mark and cut capabilities to handle the specialized needs of the global industrial market.