Why a number on the tool makes everything easier
Without identification, every tool is "the big puller" or "the VAS thingy". As soon as every item carries its own number, everyday work changes: issue and return take seconds by scan, stocktaking means counting instead of guessing, and a special tool with an OEM number, a supplier number and an inventory number is still unmistakably one tool.
The only question is: how does the number get onto the tool, and how is it read? Three methods have proven themselves – each with its own strengths.
The three methods compared
| QR code | Barcode (Code 128) | NFC tag | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read with | phone camera, tablet, 2D scanner | 1D/2D scanner, phone camera | phone (NFC), USB reader |
| Copes with dirt | well – the code tolerates small defects | moderately – a scratch across the bars interferes | very well – no line of sight needed |
| On metal | yes (label) | yes (label) | only with an on-metal tag |
| Readable by people | number printed next to it | number printed next to it | no – a label as well makes sense |
| Cost per tool | a few cents | a few cents | around €0.50–2 per tag |
| Typical use | the standard for everything | businesses with existing scanners | handles, cases, oily areas |
In short: the QR code is the standard because every phone reads it without accessories and it can contain a link – one scan opens the tool page directly. The barcode is the right choice if hand scanners are already in use in the store. NFC tags are the addition for tools that are always dirty or where you do not want to hunt for a label first: hold the phone to the tool, done.
Labels that survive the workshop
Paper labels are unreadable after two weeks of brake cleaner. What works:
- Material: polyester (PET) or vinyl, ideally with a protective laminate. Thermal transfer printing withstands oil and cleaners; direct thermal labels fade with heat and light.
- Adhesive: a strong acrylic adhesive ("permanent") for metal and plastic, a soft adhesive that conforms to the surface for rough or curved areas.
- Size: 38 × 19 mm or 50 × 30 mm for hand tools, 62 × 40 mm for cases and devices. The QR code needs at least 12 × 12 mm so that the phone can still read it from 20 cm away.
- Printing: a label printer (e.g. Brother QL, Zebra, Dymo) gets through a few hundred tools in an hour. For the first attempts, A4 sheets with 70 × 37 mm or 105 × 48 mm labels from the laser printer are enough.
What belongs on the label: the inventory number, large and legible, the code, the name in short form and – for special tools – the OEM or supplier number. Printing the storage location on it as well saves the question "where does this go?" at every return; the downside is that the label has to be reprinted whenever tools are moved.
Where the label goes
- Not on the working surface: on the handle, on the housing, on the back – wherever it gets neither knocks nor heat.
- Always in the same place for each type of tool, so nobody has to search: pliers at the end of the handle, spanners on the shank, pullers on the body, cases on the outside of the lid.
- Sets twice over: one label on the outside of the case for the set, plus a contents list inside the lid. Individual parts get their own labels only if they are also issued individually.
- Small parts such as sockets or bits get no label of their own – they are run as bulk items with a quantity or belong to a set.
NFC tags: what matters
Tools are made of metal, and metal detunes the antenna of an ordinary stick-on tag. Steel, aluminium and cast iron therefore need on-metal tags with a ferrite layer, around 25–30 mm in size. An NTAG213 chip is enough; it holds the address of the tool page. For cases, handles and cables there are tags as fobs or cable ties, and for hot areas high-temperature tags. 125 kHz transponders (EM4100 and the like) are not suitable – they are not NFC tags, and no phone reads them.
The tag does not replace the label entirely: the number should still be legible on the tool so that someone without an NFC phone also knows what they are holding.
Introduced in four steps
- Define a number range: sequential (WZ-0001 …) or by area (HV- for high-voltage, TE- for test equipment). Simple and short beats elaborate.
- Print labels for the whole inventory, sorted by storage location – so you work through cabinet by cabinet.
- Stick on and scan straight away: one scan per tool checks that code and record match and that the storage location is right.
- Label new arrivals immediately: the label is created when the tool is recorded, not "sometime later".
Frequently asked questions
QR code or barcode – which is better for the workshop?
For most businesses the QR code: it is read by every phone, copes better with dirt and can contain a link. The barcode is worthwhile if 1D hand scanners are already in place and booking is done at the PC.
Do NFC tags work on metal tools?
Yes, if they are on-metal tags: they have a ferrite layer that shields the antenna field from the metal. Ordinary stick-on tags are silent on steel.
What should you do if the label is damaged?
Print a new one, stick it on, scan once – the number stays the same, and so does the tool's history. That is why the number should never come "from the label" but from the system.
How it works with Tulz
Tulz prints labels in six formats for label printers and A4 sheets – with a QR code (link to the tool page) or a Code 128 barcode, with OEM, supplier and manufacturer numbers, and with the storage location if you like. NFC tags are written directly on the phone or with a USB reader; a tap opens the tool page, and in issue, return, moving and stocktaking the tag counts like a label. Scanning is done with the phone camera, a scanner or at the kiosk tablet.
Guides in the help centre: Print labels · Scan a QR label · NFC tags on tools: writing, scanning and which tags to use · Camera scan on the phone · Special tool with several numbers