Custom Data Tags for Industrial Equipment
Equipment data that stays readable
Custom data tags and specification plates carrying fixed fields and variable equipment data, marked to stay legible for the life of the machine. Built to withstand up to 25 years of outdoor exposure, in metal or flexible constructions, from a single supplier.
About data tags
A data tag carries information that someone needs at the machine, later — a service interval, a calibration date, a lubrication specification, a pressure setting, a component part number, or the identity of a sub-assembly buried inside a larger unit.
It is the identification a technician reads while standing in front of equipment, often years after it was installed, frequently in poor light, and usually in a hurry. Which is a different design problem from a brand nameplate: legibility and survival matter far more than appearance.
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Component and sub-assembly tags for motors, pumps, gearboxes, and valves
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Maintenance, lubrication, and service interval tags
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Calibration and inspection tags
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Pressure, torque, and setting specification tags
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Asset and property tracking tags with barcodes
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Instruction tags mounted at the point of use
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Wire, cable, and pipe identification tags
Fixed and variable information
Most data tags carry both. The fixed part is the layout, the labels, and the branding. The variable part is what changes between units or between service events.
Fixed legends
Field names, instructions, symbols, and branding, identical across the run and printed or etched in one operation.
Sequential data
Serial and asset numbers produced from a range you supply, in order, with the range recorded so a rerun continues rather than restarts.
Per-unit values
Settings, capacities, or configuration data taken from your file and printed digitally, so each tag carries its own values.
Writable surfaces
Matte silver chrome polyester takes pen and typewriter, for dates and readings filled in at the machine after installation.
Barcodes and QR codes
Printed or Metalphoto imaged. Where a code must scan years later, the imaging method matters more than the symbology.
Data tag materials
Aluminum — .005″–.125″
Bright, foil, and mill finishes. Temperature resistant with good corrosion resistance, and it machines and forms well.
Anodized aluminum — .005″–.125″
Black, clear, red, and gold. Sapphire-hard surface, insulative and static resistant, with roughly 20-year exterior life.
Metalphoto® — .003″–.125″
Matte, satin, and satin gold. The image is sealed beneath the anodic layer, so nothing sits on the surface to wear away. UL recognized.
Stainless steel — .010″–.035″
2B mill finish, for caustic and acidic environments.
Brass — .020″–.032″
Brushed and UV coated, non-sparking — which matters in some plant environments.
Polyester — .002″–.010″
Silver typeable, chrome, white, and yellow finishes. UL recognized, with 2–5 year expected exterior life.
Marking methods
Data tags are often specified once and then live for the life of the equipment, so the marking method is worth a moment.
Metal etchingThe legend is recessed into the metal and color filled. Highly resistant to abrasion, chemicals, and solvents, and the usual answer for tags handled by technicians. See
metal etching.
Metalphoto® imagingSub-surface photographic imaging with very high resolution — useful where a small tag has to carry dense information or a scannable code. See
Metalphoto processing.
EmbossingRaised characters stay legible long after harsh service has worn any printed image off the same tag. See
embossing and forming.
Screen printing
Dense opaque ink, cost effective in production quantities, with good abrasion and solvent resistance.
Digital printing
The practical method for per-unit variable data and short runs, with no tooling.
Mounting and attachment
Tags fail more often by being unreadable in position than by wearing out. Where it mounts is part of the specification, not an afterthought.
Through-holes and fasteners
Holes cut in almost any location from .05″ to 3.5″, machined to your print, for screws, rivets, or a wire loop.
Pressure-sensitive adhesive
Selected against the mounting surface, including low-surface-energy grades for powder coat and plastics.
Formed and contoured tags
Rigid tags roll-formed to sit flush on a curved housing or a pipe.
Wire and cable tags
Punched for a tie or loop where the tag hangs rather than bonds.
How a data tag order runs
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Send the layout and the data. Artwork or a sample tag, plus any variable fields. Our seasoned art department turns it into a press-ready proof at no charge.
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We confirm the construction. Material, marking method, thickness, and mounting, chosen against the environment and who reads the tag.
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You approve the proof. Including a sample of the variable data and any barcode, verified as scannable.
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Production. Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved, in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility. Rush work runs 3–5 business days for an additional fee.
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Delivery or release. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard, or run against a stocking program.
Data tag RFQ checklist
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Tag size and any hole positions, or a sample of the current tag
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The information the tag carries, and which fields change between units
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Whether the tag carries a barcode or QR code, and what will scan it
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Whether anyone needs to write on the tag after installation
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What it mounts to, and whether it is fastened, bonded, or hung
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The environment and how long the information must stay readable
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Quantity and your timing, including the date the line actually needs parts
If you do not have all of that yet, send what you have and call 319-895-8804. Customer service is open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday, and you will always reach someone in person.
Since 1946
Family-owned and operated in Mount Vernon, Iowa
3,000+
OEMs supplied across the U.S. and abroad
25 years
Outdoor exposure, some products guaranteed longer
7–10 days
Typical production after proof approval
$0
Tooling fee on in-house equipment
Why U.S. Nameplate Co.
Why OEMs source data tags from U.S. Nameplate Co.
One partner, one roof
Metal identification and flexible labels are produced under one roof in Mount Vernon, Iowa, so a single supplier covers plates, tags, overlays, decals, and safety labels instead of three.
No tooling fee on in-house equipment
U.S. Nameplate Co. does not charge a tooling fee for any in-house equipment. A one-time charge applies only when a tool has to be created for your order.
You reach a person
Customer service representatives are available 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday. You will always reach someone in person.
Built to outlast the equipment
Metal nameplates are built to withstand up to 25 years of outdoor exposure, with some products guaranteed for 25 years or more. Safety labels are UL authorized and OSHA compliant, produced in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility.
Family-owned since 1946
Supplier of choice to more than 3,000 original equipment manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, with team members averaging 10+ years of service.
One piece or one million
The 55,000 sq ft climate-controlled facility is equipped to handle orders from a single plate to production volumes, on repeat release schedules.
Request a quote for data tags
We offer free quotes on all data tags orders. Send the drawing, artwork, quantities, application, and timing you have today — our art department turns a blueprint into a press-ready proof, and we will tell you what is still open.
Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved. Rush orders can be produced in 3–5 business days for an additional fee. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard.
Request a Quote or call 319-895-8804 and you will reach someone in person.
