Many times it is required by industry specifications or the nature of the part being marked that an applied mark be used. An applied mark is one that is permanently and directly applied to a different material and then that marked material is applied to the part that ultimately needs to be identified.
This is a label, a metal tag, a transfer ink applied to some other part.
Reasons for using an applied mark include:
- potentially lower overall mark cost
- damage to part if marked directly
- industry specification
- marking speed requirements - direct mark on part may take too long for production process
The marking requirements vary greatly across industries and regions so it is best to consider direct part marking requirements as a part of the design and product development process.