Labelling of pipework

[gravitate]

I was reading a thread about the labelling of pipe work on here and someone mentioned RFID and that the industry standard is bar coding. I have worked on power stations for a while now and do not recall seeing any bar codes on pipe. Can these bar codes withstand high temperatures at all? When would these bar codes be used? I remember that when pipe work or ducting arrived there is usually just the part name sprayed on with pait?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

I simply like signs that tell me what is in the pipeline and which way it is flowing??

 

[stanier]

It is common these days for alloy fittings to have bar codes attached to them for identification in the field. Straight run pipe is normaly acid etched. This is a QA development. However I am not used to such bar codes standing the test of time and being used for pipe indentification in plant. I doubt if they would survive water, UV, high temperatures or wear as the label is affixed with a latex gum.

In the mining, gas, power, water and waste water industries piping is indentified by colour coding and self adhesive labels for service. I have rarely seen anything as specific as bar codes or line numbers attached to piping.

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
---B.B. King

http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/

 

[GHartmann]

We are probably talking about two different types of tagging. One is to identify the pipe when it comes to the plant for construction. What I was used to seeing was a painted yellow ID number or tag. This identifies the materials, mill run, etc. Once the pipe went into the plant it would be up to the owner / constructor to devlop a way to tag the pipes after they are painted and/or insulated. The tags would then be by system.

I have been in many plants where you just have to trace down the pipes from some known location, as they don't have any afixed tags.

I have no idea if OSHA has any requirements along these lines.

 

[stanier]

It is a company standard application. The more sophisticated the industry the higher level of identification. In some plants you are lucky to see the pipe painted at all. With the advent of 3D modelling you will find that labelling in the field will disappear as the model can be carried around on a laptop.

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
---B.B. King

http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/