Norwood Marking Systems has been at the forefront of innovation since developing the world's first hot stamp imprinters for the food industry over 50 years ago.

Today, Norwood continues as a market leader, designing and manufacturing a range of innovative coding and marking equipment for a wide variety of industrial markets worldwide.

Norwood supplies a range of innovative thermal transfer printers (including custom traversing systems), hot stamp imprinters, embossing printers and Kingsley wire, sleeve and tube marking systems. The company provides printing solutions for customers in the food, beverage, chemical, personal care, pharmaceutical, medical device, electronics, aerospace, military, and other industries.

Norwood's coding and marking systems enable customers to print variable data on a wide assortment of packaging materials and label substrates as well as wire and sleeving. In-line on-demand coding and marking reduces inventory of pre-printed packaging materials. Variable printing real-time data such as UPC codes, RSS bar codes, lot numbers, production codes, expiration dates and sell-by dates improves product identification, security and tracking.

Recognized worldwide for its expertise in coding and marking, Norwood offers a total-systems approach that features quality equipment along with world-class customer support and an assortment of high-performance ribbons, type and other printer parts and accessories. This combination of quality products and services - this unparalleled dedication to excellence - is focused on improving every customer's bottom line. Norwood helps customers maximize print quality and improve production efficiencies while reducing operational costs.

Based near Chicago, Illinois, USA, Norwood supports customers around the world with direct operations and a network of talented representatives and distributors in more than 50 countries.

Norwood Marking Systems, Allen Coding Systems and Kingsley Machine Company are divisions of Illinois Tool Works. Allen and Kingsley report to Norwood.

In April of 1932, Lewis Kingsley patented his clever new invention: imprinting the round surface of a fountain pen. His invention, a hot-stamping machine, employed curved face type which corresponded to the profile of the pen barrel. The machines produced flawless results and were easily adapted to an endless variety of uses.

Lewis formed the Kingsley Machine Company and set about the business of putting a Kingsley machine in every Stationery, Drug and Department Store in America.

Nine years later the Navy conceived the idea of using a Kingsley Machine to imprint identification codes on aircraft wire. With war on the horizon, aircraft manufacturers were desperately looking for ways to increase production efficiencies. Lewis responded with every resource he could rally. Within weeks, hundreds of Kingsley Machines were retooled for wire marking. It was estimated that over the course of the war, Kingsley machines had saved the country several hundred-million dollars in manufacturing, while contributing significantly to aviation safety.

In the sixty years since Lewis founded his company, Kingsley has grown to become the world leader in high performance marking systems. In 1995 Kingsley was acquired by Norwood, they are now a division of ITW. Today, Kingsley provides diverse marking solutions to over 7,000 aerospace, electronics, transportation, medical device, and military customers around the world.

Allen Coding Systems has been designing and manufacturing high quality overprinting equipment since 1977. Considered one of the leading designers of hot stamp and thermal transfer coding systems today, Allen serves companies in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, tobacco, automotive and other industries. With an extensive network of distributors and agents in every corner of the world, the U.K.-based company supports over 13,000 installations worldwide with in-country technical support, spare parts, training and preventative maintenance.

The AllenCode NX family of high performance intermittent and continuous motion thermal transfer printers is recognized as one of the leading technologies for printing real-time text and codes, autocodes, graphics, Julian dates and barcodes.

The AllenCode Super Compact high-speed in-line hot foil coder is ideal for a variety of host packaging equipment such as VFFS and HFFS systems, cartoners and primary labelers. Using digital technology, the AllenCode Super Compact offers highly controllable print accuracy and reliable operation at speeds up to 800 prints per minute.

Acquired by Illinois Tool Works in February 2006, Allen reports to Norwood Marking Systems, also a division of ITW. By joining forces, Norwood and Allen offer the widest assortment of thermal transfer printers and hot stamp coders to satisfy the widest range of coding and marking applications. Customers benefit from the broad product line, which features best-in-class technologies, as well as the extensive service organizations and expanded R&D capabilities.