ASME & NBIC
code nameplates,
laser-marked.
316L stainless data plates for pressure equipment — repair and alteration nameplates, vessel and boiler data plates, replacement plates. Laser-annealed rather than etched, so the mark is permanent and the plate’s corrosion resistance is untouched. Laid out to the code figure you work to, proofed before anything is cut.
316L stainless, annealed — not etched, not printed.
A code nameplate has to stay legible for as long as the equipment it identifies stays in service, in the same steam, solvent, and washdown exposure. That rules out printed polyester and, in most process environments, anodized aluminum. It leaves stainless — and then the question is what the marking process does to it.
- No material removalAnnealing grows a black oxide layer beneath the surface. Nothing is cut away, so the passive layer that makes 316L corrosion-resistant stays continuous across the mark.
- No coating to failThe mark is a phase change in the steel itself. There is no ink, no fill, and no anodized layer that can chalk, lift, or abrade off in service.
- Flush and formableLighter gauges sit flat against a shell or head and follow moderate curvature. Heavier gauges are available where the plate is fastened or bracket-mounted.
- Smooth to the touchAn annealed mark leaves no raised bead and no cut edge — relevant where the marking method must not introduce sharp discontinuities.
Marked to your figure, proofed before the cut.
The required markings for a repair or alteration plate are fixed by NB-23 Part 3 and by which National Board form the work is filed on — the figures set what appears, and roughly where. Send the figure you are working to, or your own drawing, and the plate is built to it.
Two details carry most of the risk, and both come off paperwork rather than off a drawing. The organization’s name has to match its Certificate of Authorization, or use an abbreviation the National Board has accepted. And the required data has a minimum character height, which constrains how much fits on a given plate size. We set type to that minimum or larger and call out the actual height on the proof.
Variable fields — work order, date repaired, serial — can be marked with the run when you supply the data, or left as ruled blanks for a dot stamp in the field. Mixed runs are normal: fixed identity in the shop, variable data at the job.
Variable-data work runs the same way here as it does for MIL-STD-130 UID labels — CSV in, every plate checked against its source row before it ships.
Figure in.
Proof back.
Send the figure or drawing, the plate size, and the mounting method, and a layout proof comes back at no charge — type set, character heights called out, fields placed. Nothing is cut until you approve it. Sheet is brought in and cut to size in-house, so a standard run is normally about a week from proof approval.
- 01 · LayoutYour figure or drawing becomes a dimensioned proof — plate size, field positions, and actual character heights.
- 02 · CutPlates cut from 316L sheet to size in-house, deburred, with corner radii and mounting holes to your spec.
- 03 · Mark & shipLaser-annealed, backing applied where specified, and shipped anywhere in the U.S.
One process, whichever plate the job calls for.
Repair organizations, vessel fabricators, and the shops that maintain their equipment all need the same thing: a stainless plate, marked permanently, laid out to a standard.
- 01
Repair and alteration plates
Nameplates for repair organizations, laid out to the figure in NB-23 Part 3 that matches the National Board form the work is filed on.
- 02
Vessel and boiler data plates
Manufacturer data plates for pressure vessels and boilers: MAWP, temperature, MDMT, serial, year built, and National Board number, arranged to your drawing or the applicable code figure.
- 03
Replacement and duplicate plates
Plates for items whose original nameplate is corroded, painted over, or lost. The authorization to replace a stamped nameplate is yours to obtain; we produce the plate once you have it.
- 04
Relief valve and nuclear repair plates
Pressure relief valve and nuclear repair nameplates to the same material and layout discipline. Relief valve plates are commonly smaller than the general character-height minimum allows.
- 05
Stand-off and bracket plates
Where the item cannot take a direct attachment, the plate is built for a stand-off bracket so the assembly — not the pressure boundary — carries the fastening.
- 06
Blank-field plates for field crews
Fixed data marked in the shop, variable fields — work order, date repaired — left as ruled blanks for the crew to complete on site with a dot stamp.
Why 316L stainless instead of aluminum or a printed label?
316L holds up to the chemical, thermal, and washdown exposure that pressure equipment sees in service, and laser annealing leaves its corrosion resistance intact because no material is removed and no coating is applied. Anodized aluminum and printed polyester both have service lives shorter than the equipment they identify. Gauge is a trade-off: lighter stock sits flush against a curved shell and takes an adhesive bond well, while heavier stock suits fastened or bracket-mounted plates.
What character height is required?
NB-23 Part 3 sets a minimum of 5/32 in. (4 mm) high for required data, with pressure relief valve repair nameplates permitted to use smaller characters. We lay out to that minimum or larger and call out the actual height on the proof so it can be checked before the run.
Which marking methods does the code recognize?
NB-23 Part 3 lists casting, etching, embossing, debossing, stamping, and engraving as ways to produce the required markings, and requires that the chosen method leave no harmful contamination or sharp discontinuities on the pressure-retaining item. Laser annealing is worth understanding on those terms: it grows a black oxide layer inside the stainless rather than removing metal, so it adds no foreign material and leaves neither a raised bead nor a cut edge. We mark by the method you specify.
How is the plate attached to the item?
NB-23 Part 3 requires the plate to be attached in a way that impedes easy removal, by a method compatible with the structure or the stand-off bracket supporting it, and permitted by the original code of construction. It names welding, adhesive or bonding, and tamper-resistant mechanical fasteners of suitable metal construction. We supply plates with high-performance acrylic adhesive backing, drilled for fasteners, or bare for welding — attachment itself happens at your shop or in the field.
What do you need from us to produce a proof?
The figure or drawing you are marking to, the plate size and mounting method, and the exact strings for the fixed fields — including your organization’s name as it appears on its Certificate of Authorization, or the abbreviation the National Board has accepted for it. A layout proof comes back for your approval before anything is cut.
Can you do a single plate, or is there a minimum?
No minimum. Single replacement plates and small repair-shop lots are routine work. Plates are cut in-house from sheet, so the cost driver is setup rather than quantity — a run of ten costs little more than a run of two.
Can you serialize a run of plates with variable data?
Yes. Work order numbers, serials, dates, and National Board numbers can be driven from a CSV so each plate carries its own data, with every plate checked against its source row before shipment. The alternative is a ruled blank field the crew completes in the field with a dot stamp; mixed runs are normal.
Send the figure — we’ll send back a proof.
Layout proof at no charge. Plates cut from 316L sheet in-house, laser-annealed, and shipped anywhere in the U.S. — single replacement plates through production lots.