Plate Marking: Small Engravings That Save Hours
What to mark
At minimum: mold ID, plate position (top plate, A plate, B plate...), material grade, and orientation arrows where asymmetry matters. Cavity and side identification belong on the plates that can be confused — mirrored halves especially.
Water line ports deserve their own code: circuit number on each port turns troubleshooting a leaking circuit from guesswork into a two-minute task.
Placement and permanence
Mark on faces that stay visible in the machine and survive cleaning — not on sealing surfaces or areas a clamp covers. Engraved marks outlast ink and labels; if ink is used for visibility, engrave first and paint second.
Agree the scheme once, per shop, and apply it to every mold. A marking convention that changes project to project is nearly as useless as no marking.
FAQ
Engraving depth on hardened plates?
Shallow engraving after hardening is common; deep marks should go in before heat treatment where the steel allows.
Mark both halves of the plate set?
Yes — separation during maintenance is exactly when identification earns its keep.
Customer logo on plates?
Only by agreement; it is their asset traceability call, and it belongs where maintenance will not erase it.
All figures above refer to standard product data sheets; final confirmation is subject to written quotation.