How to read a part number and serial from a data plate.
The plate or tag on a part holds the numbers that identify it. Reading them correctly is what makes every later record right.
What to look for
- The part number, often labelled P/N, PART NO. or MODEL
- The serial number, often labelled S/N or SERIAL, which belongs to this one unit
- The manufacturer's name
- Other numbers that are not the part number, such as certificate or approval numbers
Easy mistakes
- The letter O and the number 0, and the letter I and the number 1, are easy to swap on a worn plate
- A dash, slash or space in a part number is part of how it is written; searching without them should still find the part
- A tag may carry more than one number; check which is which before you type it
Letting a photo do the typing
A photo of the plate can be read for you, and the result is shown for you to check before it becomes a stock record. A barcode in the photo costs nothing to read.
Questions
- Is the serial number the same as the part number?
- No. The part number names the kind of part; the serial number belongs to this one unit.
- What if the plate is worn?
- Read it yourself and compare it with what the photo reading suggested; the reading is always shown for you to check.
Keep reading
Try it with your own parts.
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