Not logged inAmerican Welding Society Forum
Forum AWS Website Help Search Login
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Piece marking for Hot Dip Galvanizing
- - By John T. (*) Date 03-13-2002 16:51
Hello all, I need some advice for piece marking components of pre-engineered metal bldgs. that are to undergo Hot Dip Galvanizing. In past experience this has been a major headache, seems like no matter how much trouble we (the shop) go through to insure that pc.marks are readable and will not be lost or destroyed, we still end up re-marking the entire job. On past jobs we've stamped the part numbers on connection plates, we've attached tags with instructions to be removed during the galvanizing, then later reattached to the CORRECT part, but all to no avail. I know this is not directly weld related but any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Parent - By Niekie3 (***) Date 03-13-2002 17:20
If the markings are not too complicated, you may try welding the marking on with a SMAW electrode.

Might be a bit of overkill, but if it saves you time, it may be worth it.

Regards
Niekie
Parent - By MBSims (****) Date 03-14-2002 02:04
How about embossed metal tags attached with wire or tack welded to the part? Or stamping the pc. numbers on with metal stamps?
Parent - By THS-CWI (*) Date 03-14-2002 02:13
Hello John,
I'm in the same business---on some of our jobs,we weld the piecemark and direction arrow in the web, close to the baseplate where it won't be visible after erection--on other jobs, where the column won't be grouted in to cover the piecemarking, we tack weld a reverse embosed metal tag to the web---it can be easily removed after erection or left on.
We use GMAW & FCAW where I'm at.
Parent - - By CHGuilford (****) Date 03-14-2002 15:11
We make embossed steel tags and wire them on. We try to put the tags where they aren't as susceptible to being knocked off. It isn't perfect but since we purchased an embossing machine we haven't had too much trouble. A galvanizer put us onto the embossed tags, it's what they are using.
Prior to that we wired on hard-stamped metal tags. That worked OK but often the stamp indents filled with zinc and couldn't be read without heating and wirebrushing the zinc off.
CHGuilford
Parent - - By John T. (*) Date 03-15-2002 17:20
Thank you all for the prompt response, I went ahead this time around with marking the parts by depositing weld metal in the form of numbers and letters. It worked out ok, but I'm very interested in the embossing machine. Can you tell me a little more about it, make and model, cost of machine and tags, is it basicly a stamped impression, what are the tags made of ? I know thats a lot, but if you have any more info I would love to hear it, or read it as the case may be. Thanks again everybody
Parent - - By CHGuilford (****) Date 03-18-2002 14:44
The one we use is made by Pannier, out of Pittsburg (www.pannier.com).
We are currently using 3 x 5 steel tags which is large enough for all our information in a reasonably large font. The operator enters the information on a keyboard, lays a tags on a magnetic strip, and pushes the start button. Our machine has an air powered stylus that is adjustable for stroke depth, and it sounds like a fast sewing machine in operation. The cost of ours was around $6000, and you can get various models.
The reason they have worked well with galvanizing is the characters are deep and wide and if you can't read one side you usually can read the other, although a mirror image. The tags are not indestructable, wire them on where they are less likely to be damaged.

We had also used another type of machine that resembles one of those hand squeeze plastic label makers. I don't remember the company, we found it by doing a web search. It used an 3/4" wide steel "tape" in roll form and the characters were about 1/2". You turned a wheel to the character you wanted and pressed down on the handle. Those tags worked well also. Unfortunately, most people felt a pipe was needed for leverage- seems like they felt better when they could feel an extra "crunch" at the bottom of the stroke. The embossing wheel and other parts didn't last. (That's why we went with the Pannier- because heavy hands weren't needed and we limited the number of people who can run it) Cost was about $2500.

Hope this helps,
CHGuilford
Parent - By John T. (*) Date 03-22-2002 18:17
My thanks again, sorry for the long delay, took a few days of desperatly needed vacation :)
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Piece marking for Hot Dip Galvanizing

Powered by mwForum 2.29.2 © 1999-2013 Markus Wichitill