Automotive part marking & vehicle traceability
Nearly every part of a vehicle is marked with a unique identifying code or number for traceability purposes
Identification is crucial in the automotive industry. Marking each part with a unique code ensures thorough traceability, allowing manufacturers to track every step of a part’s journey—from raw material supplier to final assembly. This guarantees that all production stages are accounted for.
Traceability requirements are strict, with standards applying across the industry, particularly for the automotive sector. Every actor, including OEMs, tier 1, 2, and 3 suppliers, subcontractors, and those in the electric vehicle market, rely on part identification to ensure compliance and quality.
Gravotech offers top-tier marking solutions for vehicle parts like frames, engines, and plastic interiors. We design dot-peen, scribing, and laser marking machines to ensure permanent, tamper-proof traceability through serial numbers, QR codes, Datamatrix codes, logos, and more.
Our machines for automotive part marking
Our laser marking machines provide high-contrast and permanent marking, for fast and efficient automotive marking applications.
- Integrable laser machines are simple to install into production lines and are perfect for fast sequential part marking. Adding a Mini-inline laser protection nose ensures the protection of the operators and surroundings.
- While laser stations are more focused on single to batch part marking and operator security. Both groups of machines can be used on many materials, including both metallic and plastic parts of all sizes.
The versatility and speed of laser marking machines make them an ideal solution for a wide variety of automotive part marking applications.
Integrated laser system to mark and engrave on all metals.
FIBER laser
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Laser protection nose for integrable laser markers.
Mini-inline
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Medium fully automated laser marking station.
LW2
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Integrated laser system for high quality marking on plastics and metals.
HYBRID laser
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Integrated laser system for high quality and cold marking on plastics and precious metals.
GREEN laser
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Small laser engraver for all kind of engravings.
WELASE
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Our dot-peen marking machines deliver deep and permanent marking, making them a cost-effective solution for your production line.
These reliable machines are simple to integrate and provide fast markings for the automotive industry.
Ideal for large, medium, and small metal parts (excluding very thin pieces), dot-peen machines are widely used in the automotive industry due to their affordability and efficiency.
The fastest pneumatic dot peen marking machine.
XF510p
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The most precise and consistent electromagnetic dot peen marking machine.
XF510m
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Standalone dot peen marking station.
IMPACT
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Deep and permanent dot peen marking system.
XF530 p/m
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Our rotary marking machines offer deep or very deep permanent markings for vehicle identification.
Although less common in the automotive industry, they are ideal for producing small batches where durability through deep marking is required.
Our integrable scribing machines provide quiet and deep marking, complying with Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) standards.
Scribing machines, in production lines, are predominantly used for VIN applications on chassis, frames, and doors.
Parts must be carefully clamped during the marking process as the scribing machine digs deeply into the material.
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ISO 9000 and ISO 9001 define general quality management principles, while ISO/TS 16949 focuses on automotive-specific quality. ISO 26262 ensures functional safety for electrical and electronic systems, and CEI 61508 covers broader industrial safety requirements. Additionally, "49 U.S. Code Chapter 301 - Motor Vehicle Safety" mandates safety regulations in the U.S. market, ensuring vehicles meet essential safety criteria across all stages of production. Please inquire about your local rules and regulations regarding automotive part marking and vehicle identification as various countries and regions might not follow above-mentioned international standards. |
Ensure comprehensive automotive traceability
Chassis, frame & body
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique code that identifies the vehicle, typically located on the chassis, frame, and dashboard, and complying with specific standards.
Key components like the chassis, frame, body in white, doors, fenders, hood, trunk lid, and roof panels are often marked with part numbers or production codes. The Mini-inline, a laser protection nose directly mounted on a laser marking head, can easily address the automotive marking process and guarantees all parts are easily identifiable.
Ensure your large automotive parts are identified with deep, legible, and tamper-proof markings before and after treatment, and store or send information for comprehensive traceability.
Transmission part identification
Ensure complete traceability of each transmission unit by marking the transmission case with a unique serial number or code, as well as internal components, bearings, and axle drives.
Electromagnetic dot-peen and laser marking machines provide high-quality marks in fast cycle times, making them ideal for high production rates. These permanent marking solutions are durable and efficient, ensuring that the marks remain legible and tamper-proof throughout the lifecycle of the parts.
Engine and fuel systems
Ensure complete traceability of each engine block including parts from different suppliers.
Cylinder heads, fuel pumps, injectors, fuel rails, regular or special fuel tanks - such as hydrogen tanks - and other major components are all identified with unique serial numbers.
Dot-peen and laser marking machines are both suitable for engine marking as they allow to mark 2D codes such as DataMatrix™ codes, serial numbers, work shift codes, assembly plant codes, dates, V.I.N., logos, and more.
Read, inspect, and track codes at each stage. The verified data is automatically recorded in the customer’s database for seamless tracking and quality assurance throughout the manufacturing process and beyond.
Exhaust & catalytic converter marking
Exhaust pipes, catalytic converters, and mufflers are hollow parts that can be noisy to mark. Scribing technology is the most suitable solution, ensuring a quiet workplace while managing multiple files and logos for OEM and aftermarket identification of common parts.
Scribing technology allows you to mark serial numbers and DataMatrix codes using the same machine. This efficient method meets all your automotive marking needs with minimal disruption.
It is known that catalytic converters must be marked with serial numbers to ensure compliance with emissions regulations.
Interior and exterior parts
Many plastic car parts are identified, with a code, by labels. However this identification method is increasingly replaced by laser or dot-peen marking due to the short lifespan of labels.
High-speed marking keeps pace with injection presses, providing high-contrast marking on a wide variety of plastics.
These automotive oriented plastics include interior parts such as dashboards and lighting components, but also engine parts such as air intakes, or plastic elements within larger assemblies like bumpers.
Our vehicle identification solutions ensure Grade-4 Datamatrix codes, the highest grade possible as defined in ISO/IEC 15415 for internal traceability and production line automation, with aesthetic marking suitable for visible interior parts.
Want to learn more about interactions between lasers and plastics?
Automotive safety part marking
Safety part marking for automotive traceability
Marking is crucial for these parts due to the potential for mass recalls in case of major safety issues. Key components include:
- Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
- Brake discs
- Brake calipers
- Bumpers
- Airbags
- Control arms (steering and suspension)
- Steering-related parts
Ensuring traceability and identification of these safety-critical parts helps maintain high standards and quick response times.
Electric vehicle (EV) identification
EV part identification for automotive traceability
The growing market share of EVs introduces new automotive parts specific to these vehicles such as:
- Battery enclosures
- Batteries
- Battery retention bays
- Cooling systems
- Stators
Use proper automotive part marking machines to identify these components to ensure effective traceability and vehicle identification, and comply with the industry's high standards and safety requirements.
IDENTIFICATION
Trust our expertise, discover our dedication
You are a global industrial company looking for a trusted partner for your identification needs ?
With a rich legacy of innovation and a deep understanding of industry requirements, Gravotech offers a wide range of solutions for Identification requirements.
Through a collaborative approach, Gravotech works closely with its clients to understand their unique needs and challenges, allowing them to develop solutions that deliver consistent and precise results.
With a global network of dedicated support professionals, Gravotech ensures that Key Accounts receive prompt assistance and ongoing technical support, thereby maximizing uptime and minimizing downtime.
