The Lifecycle of Aluminium Asset Tags

An aluminium asset tag goes through six stages: design, anodizing and printing, sealing, quality checks, application, and years of service before the asset is retired. Knowing each stage helps you order the right tag and get the full working life out of it. This guide follows a tag from a sheet of aluminium in our Nairobi workshop to the day its asset is disposed of.

1. Design and numbering

Every tag starts as a layout: the owner's logo and name, a unique asset number, a barcode or QR code, and any message such as "Property of…". The number format is agreed with the finance team so it matches the asset register, and the whole range is generated in sequence so no number is duplicated or skipped. A digital proof is approved before production starts.

Decisions made here shape the tag's whole life: the size must leave room for a readable number and a barcode with a clear margin, and the material and adhesive must suit the surface. Our guide on designing custom aluminium asset tags covers the rules.

2. Anodizing and printing

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that grows a hard, porous layer of aluminium oxide on the metal surface. The artwork is printed into that porous layer, so the ink sits inside the surface rather than on top of it. This is the key difference between an anodized tag and a cheap printed metal label: the image is protected by the metal itself.

3. Sealing

After printing, the pores of the oxide layer are sealed. Sealing locks the image in place and gives the surface its resistance to solvents, cleaning chemicals, abrasion, heat and UV light. A sealed anodized tag can be wiped with alcohol or acetone without the print coming off, which is why it survives regular office cleaning and outdoor exposure. Read more about why aluminium tags are so durable.

4. Cutting, adhesive and quality checks

Sheets are cut into individual tags, usually with rounded corners that resist lifting. The back receives the chosen fixing: acetone-activated adhesive, a peel-and-stick adhesive, or holes for rivets and screws. Before delivery, tags are checked for print quality, sequence and barcode readability, then packed in number order.

5. Application

A tag's life depends heavily on how it is applied. The surface is cleaned of dust and grease, the adhesive is activated or the liner removed, and the tag is pressed firmly in a consistent, visible position on each type of asset. The tag is then scanned and linked to the asset's record: description, serial number, location, custodian and condition. Organisations with many assets often use our fixed asset tagging service for this stage.

6. Service life: scanning, audits and moves

Once applied, the tag is used every time the asset is verified, moved, repaired or reassigned. In annual verifications, auditors or staff scan each tag and compare what they find with the register. Because anodized aluminium keeps its print, the same tag serves the asset for its whole working life, often many years indoors and for long periods outdoors.

7. Retirement and disposal

When an asset is sold, donated or scrapped, the tag number is recorded as disposed in the register. The number is not reused, which keeps the audit trail clean. Tags on disposed assets can be removed and destroyed, or left on if the asset is sold, depending on your policy.

How to get the longest life from your tags

• Choose the right material per asset class; see how to choose aluminium tags.
• Use acetone-activated adhesive or rivets on rough, painted or outdoor surfaces.
• Place tags where they are visible but not constantly rubbed.
• Keep spare tags in the same number series for new purchases and replacements.
• Scan every tag at least once a year so problems are caught early.