Coding identification system and method for drill pipe

A method of affixing identifying indicia to an object having an outer surface, such indicia including information for identifying and tracking the object, comprising the steps of

• forming a thin plate having an upper face, a lower face, a thickness between said upper face and said lower face, and a perimeter edge;
• applying identifying indicia to said upper face of said plate;
• forming a cavity in the object to which identifying indicia is to be affixed, said cavity having an open top and a closed bottom, said cavity extending inward from the outer surface of the object into the object a depth greater than said thickness of said plate;
• connecting said plate within said cavity at said bottom of said cavity, with said upper face of said plate facing said open top of said cavity such that said identifying indicia applied to said upper face of said plate is accessible through said open top of said cavity, and with said upper face of said plate disposed in said cavity below the outer surface of the object surrounding said cavity.

A method of identifying, tracking, and monitoring wear of an object subject to abrasive wear abrading away the object from the surface of the object inward, and determining when abrasive wear has reached a predetermined limit, comprising the steps of

• forming a thin plate having an upper face, a lower face, a thickness between said upper face and said lower face, and a perimeter edge;
• applying indicia to said upper face of said plate for the purpose of uniquely identifying the object and including any desired predetermined tracking information;
• forming a cavity in the object, said cavity having an open top and a closed bottom, said cavity extending inward from the outer surface of the object into the object a depth equal to said thickness of said plate plus the predetermined limit of abrasive wear for the object;
• connecting said plate within said cavity at said bottom of said cavity, with said upper face of said plate facing said open top of said cavity such that said identifying indicia applied to said upper face of said plate is accessible through said open top of said cavity, and with said upper face of said plate disposed in said cavity at a depth below the outer surface of the object surrounding said cavity equal to the predetermined limit of abrasive wear;
• reading said indicia applied to said upper face of said plate from time to time during use or service of the object for the purpose of identifying the object and extracting tracking information included in the indicia;
• and
• inspecting the remaining depth of said cavity between the surface of the object and said upper face of said plate from time to time to determine the degree of abrasive wear of the object, until said upper face of said plate is flush with the surface of the object, thereby indicating that the predetermined limit of abrasive wear has been reached.