For many of our customers, maintaining tractability is important. This can be accomplished by etching or tagging a part with a serial number or other product identifier. Having a system in place to identify each part or lot can save a lot of time and money should a product issue arise. A permanent mark is always preferred but not always an option.

When marking parts with Sharpie, paint marker, or other easy to remove marking, it is important to understand the non-destructive testing process that will be utilized and what might happen to your writing. During liquid penetrant and magnetic particle inspections, pre and post cleaning processes are used that will remove most all of these markings. Our technicians are trained to stay alert when processing parts with specific identifiers, but even then, traceability can be lost. Similarly, if your parts are able to move during shipping, the writing may be wiped away. If you must Sharpie your parts, remember to package them securely for shipping and also note on your purchase order that they are marked.

If you need tractability and are not sure the best way to achieve it, give us a call.