Scenario: a fleet changes edges often, but wear records are by truck and never by edge, so nobody knows how long a given edge lasted. Direct answer: give each edge a short unique code at receipt and a fitting record, so that wear data follows the edge when it moves from one truck or position to another. The scheme below is an example to adapt; no standard requires it.
Code structure
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Batch or lot | B07 | Supplier batch or delivery date code |
| Serial within batch | 014 | Number given at receipt |
| Type | CI | For example carbide insert or steel |
A full code could read B07-014-CI. These are invented examples.
Fitting record
| Edge code | Truck | Position | Date fitted | Hours at fit | Date removed | Hours at removal | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B07-014-CI | T12 | Left |
How to mark
A label is only useful if it survives the season and nobody has to interpret it.
- Use paint marker on a non-working face. Water-based ink does not survive salt.
- Mark at receipt, before the edge goes on the shelf.
- Record the code when fitting and when removing.
- Photograph each edge at removal with its code in frame.
What you gain
Labelling pays back in comparisons you could not otherwise make.
- Edge life by hours, by position and by supplier batch.
- Evidence for supplier discussions that does not rest on memory.
- A way to trace a failed edge back to its delivery.
Common mistakes
Labels fail in the weather, not at the desk.
- Water-based pens. They wash off in the first storm, and the edge becomes anonymous.
- Marking where the mark interferes with fit. A mark that changes the seat is worse than no mark.
- Not recording hours at removal. The label is useless without the number next to it.
- Codes two people read differently. Use one code book, write it down, and keep it with the log.
Limits
If you add stamping to an edge, check with the supplier that it does not affect warranty or strength.
Starting small
Do not mark the whole stock at once. Start with the next delivery to one depot and keep the records for two months. Check at the end whether the marks survived, whether the log was filled in and whether the numbers were useful. If they were, extend the scheme to the other depots and add the batch code to purchase orders. If the marks wore off or the log was skipped, fix the method before you scale it, because a scheme nobody follows is worse than none. Ask drivers and the shop what slowed them down, and change the form to suit.
Boundary: Codes shown are invented examples; check with the supplier before stamping or altering an edge, in case it affects warranty or strength.
Further reading on this site.
Does a segmented edge automatically follow every depression in the pavement? ↗What Packed Ice Does to a Standard Cutting Edge ↗Carbide snow plow blades ↗Contractor Preseason Checklist: Edges, Shoes, Hardware and Sub-Sign-Ups ↗Sand and Cinders in the Snowpack: Does Abrasive Material Speed Edge Wear? ↗Photographing Edge Wear Consistently: A Phone Protocol for Month-to-Month Comparison ↗
