Case study

How do you permanently mark serial numbers on raw material bars stored outdoors?

Permanent marking of raw materials before machining

Our customer specializes in industrial fabrication and the machining of high-performance alloys, serving primarily the aerospace and nuclear industries. Its production relies on materials such as steel, stainless steel and Inconel, delivered as large raw bars that are stored in an outdoor yard until they are machined. Each bar must be identifiable at any time (serial number, material grade, lot) to guarantee the traceability that companies in this sector demand.

Marking stainless steel bars outdoors: where marker pens and labels fall short

The raw bars were originally identified with a marker pen or with labels attached to the end of each bar. Out in the yard, the ink fades and the labels deteriorate. In practice, some bars ended up with no visible identification, and the exact nature of the material could no longer be read directly—unacceptable when working with aerospace alloys, where material traceability determines compliance.

Several constraints weigh on the choice of solution:

• • The parts are long and heavy: you don’t bring a raw bar to a fixed marking station; the machine has to come to the bar, including outdoors
  • The materials being marked (stainless steel, Inconel) are hard and call for a technology capable of cutting a durable mark into the surface
  • Volumes are small to medium runs: integrating this marking into an automated line would make no economic sense. High-volume runs of smaller parts are already handled in-house by laser marking

The requirement comes down to permanent marking on large bars, performed directly outdoors, without moving the part and without any dedicated infrastructure.

Permanent dot peen marking solution for raw material bars

The solution the customer selected is the e-MARK EVO, a portable dot peen marking machine, in its standard version. Dot peen marking creates a mechanical deformation of the material: the mark is engraved into the bar, not deposited on the surface. On stainless steel as on Inconel, the result stays legible over time, even after prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions.

The portable format of the e-MARK EVO answers the main logistical constraint: the operator carries the machine to the bar, whether it is in the outdoor storage area or in the shop. There is no need to handle a part several meters long to get it to a fixed marking station. The same machine covers every marking requirement for large parts, complementing the laser already used for high-volume runs of small parts.

Because the equipment is a standard SIC MARKING catalog product, no custom development was required: the solution was up and running quickly, at a cost in line with small- and medium-run use.

Permanent bar marking: durable material traceability outdoors

The raw bars now carry permanent marking applied right where they are stored or used. Material identification no longer depends on how long a marker pen or a label holds up. The combination of dot peen marking and the portability of the e-MARK EVO matches the usage profile exactly (limited runs, long parts, hard materials, outdoor environment) without oversizing the investment.