Inspectors and auditors rarely head to site offices to retrieve documentation when visiting fabrication yards, pressure vessel manufacturing facilities, or plant rooms. Instead, they head to the equipment and check the small tag or nameplate that is bonded, riveted, or screwed to the equipment. Nameplates and test plates are a means to communicate information to the future end user about a batch number, working pressure, test date, and material specification once the original certificate has been filed away.

From a manufacturer or fabricator viewpoint, this is primarily not a design issue to be correct about these details. It is a legal issue to abide the regulations. Pressure equipment under PED, lifting equipment under LOLER, and boilers and vessels under a written scheme of examination all demand permanently fixed identification that is intended to be neither replaced, forged, nor erased before the next inspection. Test plates that have been installed in a damp plant room and that have been completely illegible after a couple of years are worse than having no test plates at all, since they provide a false impression of a traceable system when, in reality, they have been long lost.

This is the decision point where you must consider material selection. It cannot be an afterthought added at the end of the specification. Engraved stainless steel plates are able to withstand the environment. This could include condensation and wash-down chemicals, and possibly UV exposure. They last longer than adhesive labels. Aluminium, after the surface is sealed, also has good resistance to corrosion and is a good lightweight option, but probably not for high vibration areas since they can delaminate. Traffolyte is a good choice for indoor use for clear bright legends engraved on control panels and switchgear, however, it may not be good for a plate that may need to withstand 20 years of the elements and possibly a harsh processing environment.

The type of engraving can also be a factor in the expected life of the plate. Mechanically engraved text is text that is engraved so the text actually does sit below the metal surface as opposed to something that is printed. Text that is printed will wear off. For certain test plates, where the significance of the pressure test date, next inspection due date, etc. cannot be emphasised enough, this durability is extremely important. An engineer performing a written scheme examination must be able to read the engraved data with no concern of attempting to interpret a number that has partially worn away.

There are relevant test plate details to consider as well. A test plate must have a minimum of a unique serial or asset number, the test pressure, the date of the test, the test body or inspector, and space big enough for these details to be legible from a metre away even in bad lighting. If there is a specific standard related to the equipment, the plate must state the standard. Most likely, accompanying paperwork will not stay with the equipment during a move, sale, or transfer to a new location.

If a manufacturer understands these details, then ordering nameplates from them is the easier route in the future. The small expense of purchasing high-quality Industrial name plates is a long-term business asset. Inspection and compliance responsibilities are eased when the correct specification nameplate is ordered.

If a business is purchasing pressure equipment or lifting devices that require a test plate, it is beneficial to add an engraving supplier as an initial contact, rather than ordering test plates after the other specifications are ordered.