From the offshore oil and gas industry to one of the world’s major tennis tournaments, Silver Fox’s Endurance® Pipe Marking Tape is an increasingly important factor in ensuring that operations run smoothly.
Pipe labelling is just as crucial an issue as the pipes themselves. While it’s vital to ensure that the pipes are suitable for carrying, safely, whatever it is they carry, it’s also extremely important that these pipes are not only correctly labelled but that that labelling stays in place and remains legible – often under extremely testing conditions – for as long as possible.
The costs of re-labelling pipes – especially offshore – can be extremely high and the work itself can be hazardous. So this isn’t an activity that operators or engineers want to carry out frequently. Silver Fox has been at the forefront of the development of innovative durable and time-saving labelling solutions for over 30 years and our Endurance® range of pipe marking and pipe labelling solutions are no exception.
These solutions’ durability and dependability are not only being recognised by users but are also being certified by independent testing services at MoD, UKAS-certified and independent recognised test laboratories as meeting the demands of various label testing standards.
The Endurance® External Grade Pipe ID Tape, made from 50 microns self-adhesive polyester has been tested for 6500 hours simulated UV ageing along with Salt mist spray according to Lloyds Register Type Approval System, H2S and High/Low temperature.
Silver Fox Endurance® External Pipe ID Tape is made demanding environments. Longer life means fewer maintenance costs. Typically this solution would be used in the oil and gas industry to identify process pipes both on and offshore or other critical applications.
Silver Fox Endurance® Internal Pipe ID Tape, made from self-adhesive PVC, is made for general commercial applications for internal use.
Colours & marking used for both products are taken from the BS 1710 (BS 4800 colours), ISO 14726 standards and the ASME (ANSI) A13.1 2007 North American Pipe Marking Standard.
We can also match your RAL/Pantone colour specifications along with any service message/arrows you require.
This has led to these pipe marking and pipe labelling solutions being used in a growing range of industries – including by a well-known tennis club in London SW19. Specially developed for that club’s particular needs, Silver Fox’s Endurance tape contains the words ‘BLOWN FIBRE’, accompanied by the ‘Warning’ logo, in black with a yellow background.
Nick Michaelson, CEO of Silver Fox, commented: “Because we’ve also pre-perforated the roll of tape at fixed intervals, it’s enabled the installer to remove an exact amount suitable to wrap around the blown fibre tube and so quickly apply it. This saves a lot of time and material – and allows the engineer to produce a high-quality job.”
In addition to the Sports sector, Silver Fox’s products are routinely used in the Oil & Gas, Power and Rail industries worldwide.
We offer a wide range of external and internal marking tape. Its size, message and colour can all be matched to meet customers’ specific requirements.
British Standard 1710 (BS 1710) provides the standards for identifying pipes, including colour coding, label locations, and information about pipe contents.
The standards specify two types of colour coding, basic identification colours and safety colours. BS 1710 specifies specific colours, identified by their BS Colour Reference number, which must be used.
| Pipe Contents Name Reference | Colour | BS 4800 Colour |
| Water | Green | 12 D 45 |
| Steam | Silver-Grey | 10 A 03 |
| Oils (mineral, vegetable or animal) | Brown | 06 C 39 |
| Gases (in either gas or liquid phase – except air) | Yellow Ochre | 08 C 35 |
| Acids / Alkalis | Violet | 22 C 37 |
| Air | Light Blue | 20 E 51 |
| Other Liquids | Back | 00 E 53 |
| Electrical Services & Ventilation Ducts | Orange | 06 E 51 |
The British Standard 1710 pipe marking code requires that information about pipe contents must be provided using at least one of the following methods:
- The full name
- The common abbreviation of the name
- The chemical symbol
- The refrigerant number as specified in British Standard 4580
- The appropriate colour bands (including specific colour coding specified for medical and general building services, and optional colour bands for refrigeration services).
The Code Indications must be at least at the specified locations for pipe markers, and there must always be a Code Indication next to any banding.
Pipe content names, abbreviations, symbols and numbers must be printed in either black or white, whichever provides the best contrast. The Code Indications are to be placed directly on the pipe or on a label placed on the pipe. The background colour of the label must match the safety identification colour.
The direction of the fluid flow in a pipe is to be indicated by an arrow located near the basic Identification Colour. The arrow may be either white or black, whichever provides the best contrast.
