How Deploy Recruitment Solved Their Asset Labelling Challenge with Endurance® Valve Tags

Deploy Recruitment initially used self-adhesive labels from another supplier to identify and track equipment across their operations. On paper, the approach was sound - print the labels, apply them to assets, and maintain a clear record of what belongs where and who is accountable for it.

In practice, the labels were not up to the job. Equipment that gets moved between sites, handled by multiple people, and exposed to the physical demands of infrastructure and engineering environments does not treat labels gently. The printing was getting scratched. Labels were being damaged or pulled off entirely. The very system designed to add accountability was being undermined by the conditions it operated in.

This is a common pattern across industries that rely on physical asset tracking. The label itself might be well-printed and clearly legible when it leaves the printer, but once it is out in the field, the environment becomes the real test. For Deploy, the gap between what their existing labels could withstand and what the job demanded was costing them time and money in relabelling and re-identification.

Rather than persisting with a product that was not working, Deploy approached Silver Fox® to see what alternatives were available.

A Silver Fox® field representative visited Deploy with a full range of product options. Together, they worked through the catalogue to find a format that could handle the conditions causing the original labels to fail. The answer was Endurance® Valve Tags - durable PVC tags designed specifically for environments where standard self-adhesive labels struggle.

The key difference was durability. Endurance® Valve Tags are manufactured from a highly durable PVC that resists scratching, abrasion, and the kind of rough handling that had been destroying the original labels. The printing is protected in a way that field conditions cannot compromise, meaning the information stays legible for the long term.

What made Deploy's approach particularly practical was that they did not simply replace one format with another across the board. Instead, they adopted a combined strategy that matched the label type to the conditions each asset would face.

This is worth noting because it reflects how labelling decisions work best in practice. There is rarely a single product that suits every asset in every environment. The most effective approach is to understand the conditions each asset will face and select the format that matches. A self-adhesive label is perfectly adequate for a laptop or a piece of office equipment. It is not the right choice for a piece of kit that gets thrown in the back of a van and used on a construction site.

Critically, the implementation was straightforward. Deploy adopted the Silver Fox® thermal printing system, which handles both self-adhesive labels and Endurance® Valve Tags using the same software, the same printer, and the same ribbon. One system for both formats, which meant simple training, minimal equipment, and no duplication.

Since making the switch, Deploy Recruitment now prints dozens of Endurance® Valve Tags every day, distributing them across all of their staff and sites. The tags go out with the equipment and stay legible throughout the asset's working life.

The practical lesson from Deploy's experience is one that applies across any sector where assets move between locations or operate in physically demanding conditions. The cheapest label is not the one with the lowest unit cost - it is the one that survives long enough that you do not have to print it twice.

Deploy's experience highlights a pattern that is common across asset-heavy organisations. The initial labelling decision is usually made based on what is simplest to implement - often a self-adhesive label because it is familiar and easy to apply. That works well in many environments, but it does not account for the full range of conditions an asset might encounter.

The environments where Endurance® Valve Tags tend to prove their value share a few common characteristics: physical handling that puts stress on labels, exposure to dirt or abrasion, movement between sites or teams, and a need for long-term legibility without maintenance. These conditions are typical in rail and infrastructure, energy and power, engineering and manufacturing, facilities management, and large-scale construction and maintenance operations.

The fact that Endurance® Valve Tags use the same Silver Fox® thermal printing system as the rest of the label range makes it easy to cover multiple labelling needs with a single setup. For organisations already using a Fox-in-a-Box® kit, adding valve tags is simply a matter of ordering a different media and loading it into the same printer. For those coming from another supplier, as Deploy did, it means consolidating everything into one software platform, one printer, and one ribbon - for the entire range.

Endurance® Valve Tags are manufactured from a highly durable, UV-stable PVC. They are available in two sizes - 60mm x 50mm and 80mm x 50mm - and come in packs of up to 300. Each tag includes a reinforced hole for cable tie attachment, making them quick to fix to valves, equipment, pipework, and other assets.

Key characteristics that suited Deploy's requirements include scratch-resistant thermal printing that remains legible under physical handling, chemical and weather resistance for outdoor and industrial use, rapid on-site printing at up to 100mm per second using the Fox-in-a-Box® thermal printer, and the ability to print barcodes, QR codes, and custom text using Labacus Innovator® software.

They are available in white or yellow, and the same thermal ribbon used across the full Silver Fox® label range is compatible, which keeps consumable costs simple and predictable.

If you are finding that self-adhesive labels are not holding up in your environment, the issue may not be the label quality - it may be the label format. A conversation about which Silver Fox® products match your specific conditions can save significant time and cost in the long run.