A guide to hose identification tags, labels and markings
Hydraulic hose tags, labels and markings are critical components in various industries, as hydraulic systems are employed in many sectors such as construction, energy, and manufacturing. Hydraulic hose identification tags, labels and nameplates are used among companies to provide timely and concise information for different purposes.
Why do you need to tag and label your hoses?
Hose identification products are intended to assist users in ensuring the safety, traceability, and regulatory compliance of hoses. Colour coding and other rapid visual identifiers are available such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, barcodes, QR codes and metal tags.
- Proactive Maintenance : A simple hose tag or label can help eliminate identification problems for the maintenance team, for example during a maintenance checkup. By adding a tag the technician will immediately be able to know the date of the hose installation, its material, what liquid it is transporting, and other critical information.
- Avoid hose failure: hose systems have time-specific maintenance requirements that are critical to avoid hose or valve failure. Keeping a maintenance record is important to track all hose parts and replace them before it happens.
- Add company logo: Some companies choose to add their company information to the hose tags for example to mark their property. Companies in charge of servicing hoses might include the date of service and a phone number in case any issue arises. In other cases, hose manufacturers will add their own company information to the finished product with a label.
- Improve efficiency: applying a tag or label on every hose product is a cost-effective way to make hose identification processes easier and to establish preventive maintenance that will extend the life of your hose system and avoid production disruptions. In this way, the hose system will be back up and running in no time.
What are the minimum requirements a hose tag should contain?
To provide valuable information to the operator a hose tag or label should at least contain :
- Part number
- Date of manufacture
- Trace identification number
- System media
- Operating pressure
- Operating temperature
The amount of data available on the tag will also depend on the tag size and type.
Popular materials options
Popular Materials across different industries include:
Metal Tags and Labels are known to be a popular choice for tagging assets and equipment as they are a durable and long-lasting solution. However, they come with the disadvantage of being a very expensive solution compared to other options on the market and in addition to that, they don’t allow any sort of print flexibility. In the last few years in fact, and with new printing technologies available, companies are switching to heavy-duty PVC tags and labels and in-house printing for hose identification, as they are cheaper and more convenient solutions.
Hose assemblers offering hose management systems, for example, require a great deal of print flexibility in order to service their client’s requirements.
Thermal transfer printing gives some of the most durable print results that can be achieved in-house, it allows companies to change data according to their needs and to use different materials for their hose labels; it’s safe to say that it’s steadily becoming one of the preferred hose identification methods for most businesses.
What are the hose tagging options available on the market?
- Metal Tags and Labels
- Zip Tags or Cable Ties
- Tags with wire
- Adhesive Labels
- Flexible in-house printing system ( switch and adapt printing material, size, colours and data according to your needs).
What features to look for when choosing the appropriate hose tagging solution?
- Environment exposure: it is important to consider the environment to which the hose tag or label will be exposed. Do you need a tag that is chemicals, UV, or Oil Resistant? Does the tag or label need to be waterproof? What about abrasions or high impacts? The choice of the right type and material will vary depending on the above conditions.
- Cost: cost is obviously very important for every business but when it comes to hose tagging solutions some businesses might be more concerned than others, as it could really increase the overall cost. Some businesses might prefer investing more in a more durable solution; however, businesses offering regular hose servicing or hose assemblers, that need a very high volume of tags and labels printed daily, might prefer a more versatile solution that keeps costs down.
- Print flexibility: do you need to print variable data, including QR codes, barcodes, and sequential numbering according to your customer’s needs? Do you conduct regular servicing for different clients? Then print flexibility is your priority! In this case, you definitely need a hose tagging solution that is convenient and allows you to quickly switch the data you want to print on your tag or label.
- Pre-printed or in-house: same story here, it all depends on your business needs. If you only need a set amount of tags and labels periodically you might want to opt for custom pre-printed labels as they already come with customised, pre-arranged features and information. This will save you a lot of time as you just need a few minutes to apply them when needed. However, if your business requires a high amount of hose tags and labels with interchangeable data, you might want to opt to implement an in-house hose identification system.
In summary..
Hose identification tags, labels and markers are a valuable way to add information to your organisation’s hydraulic hoses. Whether you use them to track your maintenance schedule or you need to identify your products for brand exposure, you could certainly benefit from a proper hose identification system. On each tag, you could add a line of safety text or a service phone number to call, your logo, a barcode or a QR code (options are endless) in order to provide a better service and to improve your professional service.
Interested in learning more about how to develop a more effective hose tagging system in your business? Our friendly team of specialists would be happy to help. Get in touch with us to find out how you can speed up maintenance, improve system safety, and minimise downtime today.
Not sure where to start?
Our team are experts in choosing suitable asset identification and tracking options for your specific application and environment. We are happy to advise and recommend the most efficient and cost-effective asset identification solutions for your workplace.
No matter the industry, Certags can provide a wide range of asset identification tag and label solutions that can be entirely customised according to your business needs.
