The problem: IDs that did not survive the shop floor
For years the weak link in our traceability chain was the instrument itself. Stickers peeled, paint pens wore off and hand engraving was slow. A caliper on a fabrication line in Germiston or Alrode gets oil, coolant, solvents and a lot of handling between calibration cycles.
“We would calibrate a tool properly, and by the next cycle the sticker with its asset number was half gone. Then someone has to match the tool to the certificate by serial number and memory. That is not how traceability should work.”
Bertus Swanepoel, Senior Calibration Technician
Our clients said the same. Quality managers at machining workshops and automotive suppliers wanted asset IDs that last as long as the instrument, marked in a way that never touches the measuring faces.
Testing marks with AM.CO.ZA in Johannesburg
We spoke to a few suppliers before settling on AM.CO.ZA. Three things made the decision.
- ServiceTheir Johannesburg team let us test marks on our own scrap calipers and micrometer frames before we bought, with straight answers on depth and contrast on hardened steel.
- Best priceBecause AM.CO.ZA brings its machines in itself, a marking and cutting setup made sense for a lab our size without a big capital project.
- Build qualityA steady column, a solid base and a clean scan head. When we measure in microns, the first mark of the day must match the last.
“They knew the machines properly and gave us honest advice. That is the same kind of advice we try to give our own clients.”
Lebohang Motaung, Managing Director
Part one: permanent asset IDs with the fibre laser
A benchtop fibre laser marker from AM.CO.ZA’s laser marking range now sits on its own bench next to intake. When an instrument arrives for its first calibration with us, it gets a permanent client asset ID and a short lab reference on a non-functional surface: the caliper beam away from the scale, the micrometer frame or the base of a height gauge.
“We never mark on measuring faces, anvils or scales. The instrument is never stressed, and after marking it still goes through full calibration before it leaves the lab.”
Candice Jacobs, Quality Assurance Officer
The marks are crisp, dark and resistant to the oils and solvents our clients use. Our certificates now reference an ID that physically lives on the tool.
Part two: custom foam inserts with the CO2 laser
The second machine came from a client request. Field service teams and toolrooms wanted their measuring kits in proper cases, with a pocket for every instrument so a missing tool is obvious at a glance.
We added an AM.CO.ZA desktop CO2 laser cutter from their CO2 laser range. It cuts foam inserts shaped to the exact calipers, micrometers and dial gauges in each kit. For jigs and test cuts we use laser cutting boards.
“When a kit comes back for calibration with an empty pocket, we know immediately what is missing. That saves a phone call and a delay, and the client gets the whole kit back together, checked and in order.”
Rukshana Manuel, Operations Manager
What changed in the lab
- Every instrument in for its first calibration with us leaves with a permanent asset ID
- Certificates, asset registers and tools now match without guesswork at intake
- Kit cases for field teams and toolrooms come back with custom-cut inserts
- Intake is quicker because tools are identified at a glance
“Traceability starts with knowing which tool you are holding,” says Bertus. “Now we always know.”
Want permanent IDs on your instruments?
Ask about permanent ID marking or custom kit inserts when you book your next calibration, or send a note through our contact form. If you would like to read about the machines behind it, the AM.CO.ZA guides explain laser marking and cutting in plain terms, and AM.CO.ZA is where ours came from. More of our work is on the jobs page.
Key facts
| Location | Accu calibration lab, Isando, Kempton Park |
|---|---|
| Machines | Benchtop fibre laser marker and desktop CO2 laser cutter from AM.CO.ZA |
| Marked items | Calipers, micrometers, height gauges |
| Mark position | Non-functional surfaces only, never measuring faces, anvils or scales |
| Kit inserts | Custom foam cut to each kit’s instruments |
