Metal, Pipe, & Tubing Marking Systems


Carco has been a leading manufacturer of precision-engineered automated metal marking systems for over 70 years. Process engineers and plant managers use our customized systems in many manufacturing applications, including metal, pipe, and tubing fabrication, to ensure critical part traceability and process repeatability.

Industry Applications

Our metal marking systems are designed to be integrated throughout your manufacturing and fabrication processes, making them reliable solutions for weld-seam detection, NDT reject marking, and API/Grade color branding.

Weld-Seam Detection

Whether you’re doing fillet, corner outside, overlap, or an X or V-weld seam, our industrial pipe marking solutions immediately and accurately mark the part adjacent to the weld seam. Our part-marking systems ensure you can properly position your steel tubes and joints before bending, forming, laser cutting, or other fabrication steps.

NDT Reject Marking

Carco’s metal marking systems can seamlessly integrate into your non-destructive testing (NDT) and part-inspection systems. This ensures that any weld defects, anomalies, or inclusions within or around the weld can be immediately marked with pinpoint accuracy to ensure proper quarantining/rejection of the part.

API/Grade Color Banding

Our non-contact metal marking systems are an all-important step to correctly mark new, used, damaged, or corroded steel tubes, joints, and casings. Immediately after inspection, our industrial markers can be used to apply color bands to steel and tubular products product based on API Spec 5D requirements.

Our Metal/Tubing Marking Solutions


Carco offers a wide range of highly accurate part marking systems and ink for many metal, pipe, and tubing manufacturing applications. Our non-contact systems are best for marking metals and tubular products due to their capability in working with fast-drying inks and withstanding harsh environments.

The ES-1157 Carco Jetshot, ideal for marking fast-moving materials in harsh industrial environments, offers economical ink usage and adaptable “Jetshot” Tubes for precise, low-maintenance marking in metal, pipe, and tubing manufacturing. Its robust design allows for easy mounting in any orientation, ensuring seamless integration into various production lines.

The Carco ES-800 spray unit is an efficient solution for applications requiring small, controlled spots, capable of marking on dry, wet, absorbent, or oiled surfaces. Its integration with NDT and Eddy-Current testing units makes it ideal for identifying rejected material. The ES-800 is available with a 3” or 6” extension, enhancing its versatility for marking hard-to-reach areas.

The Carco ES-1010 Low-Pressure Spray System offers precise and continuous marking with minimal overspray at 5-15 PSI. Its adaptability makes it ideal for creating distinct lines or spots on moving metal surfaces, and the system’s capacity to produce various mark sizes caters to the specific needs of metal, pipe, and tubing production processes.

Our Recommended Metal Marking Inks

Stack of pipes marked with different colored inks

Pigmented Inks

For permanent tire markings, Carco’s Pigmented Inks come in a variety of dry-time formulations and a robust array of color options. Popular fast-drying inks used on rubber components include the XX-1346 and MM-150 formulas. Carco’s F-123 series is excellent for open-pad stamping and roller applications.

A stack of reject marked pipes

Dye Type Inks

Our non-clogging, non-settling dye-type inks are specifically designed for reject marking in metal manufacturing, where reliability and efficiency are paramount. These inks excel in quick-drying, low-throughput applications, particularly on light or bright-colored metal parts. For optimal performance in metal manufacturing reject marking, we recommend the 1000-I and 1044 inks, known for their consistent flow and quick-dry properties.

Companies We've Worked With

Find Your Solution Today

Carco is proud to be a manufacturer customers can turn to for cost-effective, accurate, and reliable part marking systems.

Contact us today,to learn more about our solutions or to request a quote.

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Reach out today to find out more about what Carco has to offer. Our team is waiting to fulfill your marking application requirements.

Our Metal/Tubing Marking Solutions