Permanent Casting Marking Methods and Optical Identification Methods

Abstract. In recent years, the manufacturing industry has undertaken several initiatives to enhance the monitoring of product life cycles by incorporating special markings directly during production. This is particularly important in today’s global market, where unambiguous identification of genuine products is essential. Such monitoring is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly in ensuring the reliable traceability of products and related services that manufacturers, retailers, and end-users can access. As a result, databases maintained by component manufacturers, which enable the storage of information about an individual product throughout its entire life cycle, now play a crucial role. In this context, the growing popularity, advantages, and ease of use of permanent product marking encourage its application in manufacturing technologies, including foundry processes, as well as in other industrial areas. Introducing a permanent imprint into the casting, without the need for laser processing or the use of non-durable self-adhesive labels, enables the unambiguous identification of each manufactured part, as highlighted in this article. The paper analyses the types and methods of producing permanent impressions in the mold, resulting in a negative imprint on the casting, as well as the techniques for reading the markings obtained in this way.