Which solution for equipment nameplates marking and cutting?
Need compliant equipment nameplate solutions for your industrial machinery? Create and engrave ID plates using marking technologies that meet international regulations.
Equipment nameplates are mandatory for identifying and tracing industrial machines, equipment, and vehicles across manufacturing operations. These identification plates serve critical roles in asset management, operational safety, and regulatory compliance throughout a product's lifecycle.
Manufacturers can create compliant nameplates using laser marking machines, dot peen systems, scribing technology, or rotary ID plate engraving machines.
Typically made of durable metal or plastic, equipment nameplates are designed to withstand demanding industrial environments and come in various sizes and shapes to provide specific machinery specifications (logos, brand information, address details, serial numbers…). Discover which technology best suits your industrial identification needs.
| If you are looking for ID tags such as industrial signage for pipes, cables, and device operations, please visit our dedicated page at this link. |
Which ID plate engraving machine is right for your needs?
Durability and legibility are essential when marking nameplates for industrial equipment. Dot peen technology creates permanent, mechanical indentations directly into the material surface, ensuring that identification remains visible over time, even in harsh environments.
- Impact: Standalone dot peen station ideal for deep, durable marking on small batch metal and plastic nameplates.
Galvanometric lasers are our fastest laser marking machines. Mark medium to large batches of metallic or plastic plates within seconds. Laser marking results in a high-quality, highly contrasted industrial marking.
- WeLase™: Compact Class 1 laser station, ideal for high contrast marking on metal or plastic nameplates with instant visual preview.
- LW2: Fully automated, Class 1 laser station with touchscreen and software driven batch ID marking, no PC needed.
- LW3: Large format, secure laser workstation for marking oversized nameplates, with automated door and high throughput batch capabilities.
With the largest marking area, our laser marking machines are ideal for marking medium to large batches of ID plates. Laser technology produces a high-quality, contrasted black or white marking on metals and plastics. It is also suitable for cutting plastic plates.
- LS100: Compact CO2 laser with autofocus and integrated extraction. Perfect for precision marking and cutting of nameplates in small-scale or on-site setups.
- LS100 EX: Medium-format gantry CO2/Fibre laser tailored for small-series batch engraving including automatic date stamp and matrix mode.
- LS900: Large-format CO2/Fibre dual-source table with 610 × 610 mm (24.01’’ x 24.01’’) bed, 250 mm (9.84’’) max part height, and pass-through doors for high-speed marking of bulky nameplates.
Small CO2 laser engraver and cutter for personalisation, signage and creative.
LS100
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Medium CO2 or Fiber laser engraving and cutting machine for signage and small series.
LS100 EX
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Large laser engraver and cutter that can do everything.
LS900
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Rotary ID plate engraving machines provide an aesthetic and deep engraving. They are suitable for cutting metallic and plastic nameplates and can create custom designs with straight or beveled edges. Our rotary engraving machines are ideal for plate marking in small to medium batches thanks to Gravostyle™.
Which type of machines for ID plate marking and cutting?
Technology | Gravotech’s top model | Marking and cutting results | Production volume | Key advantages |
| Laser stations | WeLase™, LW2, LW3 |
| Small to medium |
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| Laser tables | LS100, LS100 EX, LS900 |
| Medium to large |
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| Dot Peen Station | Impact |
| Small batches |
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| Rotary engravers | M20 X, IS400 |
| Small to medium |
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How to ensure proper identification with equipment nameplates?
Plate identification
Equipment nameplate identification involves filling in a blank plate with custom information such as the machine or equipment type, its serial number, practical details, the manufacturer's name and address, and more.
Equipment nameplates can be made from various materials, to resist all kinds of conditions:
- Stainless steel
- Aluminium
- Anodised aluminium
- Brass
- Plastic/vinyl
While some manufacturers create their own templates and designs to later fill in, other companies only produce and sell blank equipment nameplates to be filled in by their customers. In this case, different industrial marking technologies can be used (for example, a blank plate prepared with a laser can be filled in with a dot-peen machine). This does not affect the compliance of the nameplate.
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Plate marking compliance
The mandatory information to be marked on your equipment nameplates depends on the standard you wish to comply with.
For example, the European standard specifies that the following information must be “marked visibly, legibly and indelibly”:
- the business name and full address of the manufacturer and, where applicable, his authorized representative;
- designation of the machinery;
- the CE Marking;
- designation of series or type;
- serial number, if any;
- the year of construction.
Please refer to the regulations of your country and geographical markets for more information on the standards you need to comply with (i.e.: NFPA-79/UL for the USA; JMAA/JIS for Japan; CCC for China; etc.)
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Identification in various forms
Equipment nameplates, depending on the application and industry, aren’t necessarily flat and rectangular.
Regardless of your support and machinery identification plate, Gravotech provides laser marking machines and dot-peen machines to meet your quality requirements and the volume of plates to be marked.
Here are some application examples:
- Aerospace, aeronautic & defense tags
- Automotive tags
- Elevator & inspection tags
- IT, telecoms and utility pole tags
- Scissor lifts equipment plates
- Wire rope & chain sling tags
How can you increase your ID plate production pace?
Batch marking
Do you have high production needs? Gravotech machines simplify plate batch industrial marking.
Our specialised machines are designed to meet all high-volume production demands for equipment nameplates.
Some of our laser marking machines have an interior capacity to mark about 50 plates at a time. The self-centering tables and vices automatically position the plates, while surface tracking noses ensure constant depth and repeatability for small batches.
The Matrix mode of our industrial software allows for automatic incrementation of variables, serial numbers, counters, shifts, timecodes, and more.
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Automatic plate feeder
Are you looking for a plastic and metallic plate marking solution that is accessible to your operators without extensive training, while also increasing your productivity?
Our Automatic Plate Feeder (APF) accessory transforms your ID plate engraving machine into a highly efficient batch engraver. A conveyor transports the plates from the storage rack to the marking area, where they are marked. Once engraved, they are automatically stored at the end of the chain.
Ideal for batch marking of plates, badges, labels, and tags, the APF is compatible with the Impact dot-peen machine.
Contact us with your nameplate specifications so we can share our expertise with you.
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Which materials and software for equipment nameplates?
Gravotech is widely recognised as a reliable supplier of plastic and metallic materials dedicated to equipment nameplates.
These engraving materials answer to every criteria equipment nameplates require and react very well to our marking technologies.
Here is our engraving material recommendation for this application:
- Plastic: Gravoply™ laser; Flexilase™
- Metal: Gravoxal™; Alumamark®; Durablack®
In addition, Gravotech offers a cut-to-size service on every material at their disposal. Cutting, bending, hole drilling & more in little time.
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Engineered by Gravotech, Gravostyle™ and Lasertrace are software solutions that simplify equipment nameplate production, from template setup to variable-data engraving.
Both drive Gravotech laser and rotary marking machines, and are necessary to create and program your marking jobs.
Using them for equipment nameplates allows for several use-cases:
Preparing the template for large batches of plates to be filled later on;
Filling-in and marking texts, logos, codes and variables on empty nameplates.
| FAQ: The 4 questions most frequently asked of our experts |
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🔽What information can be marked on an equipment nameplate?
Nameplates must typically comply with regional safety standards such as CE, UL, or ISO specifications. Required information depends on the company needs, it can include: manufacturer name, technical details about the machine (model, voltage, power, weight, serial number), and manufacturing location/date. Vehicle plates, for example, may also include noise level.
🔽What is the best machine for equipment nameplates?
The Impact dot-peen machine is recommended for fast and deep marking. For speed and contrast marking, the WeLase™ or LW2 laser stations are better suited. For deep, durable marking and character legibility, the Rotary M20 X or IS400 is ideal.
It also depends on the required production volume:
- The Impact, Welase, or M20 X for single or small batches.
- The LW2 and IS400 for medium batches
- The LS900 for large batches
🔽Which materials can be used for equipment nameplates?
The majority of equipment nameplates are made from durable metals, such as stainless steel, aluminium, anodised aluminium, and brass (e.g. Gravoxal™; Alumamark®; Durablack®). Specialised plastics like Gravoply™ and Flexilase™ are also used, particularly for telecommunication ID plates, offering high resistance.
Gravotech also offers a cut-to-size service in some regions for all materials, handling cutting, bending, hole drilling, and more quickly.
🔽Which marking technologies are best suited for creating durable equipment nameplates?
In fact, it depends on your company's needs.
For high durability, deep marking techniques like scribing or dot peen are best, as the depth ensures longevity. Laser marking on the surface can also be suitable if the nameplates are not subjected to severely complex conditions.
