The Australian Government, through the Administrator of Vehicle Standards, specifies standards for identification plates or compliance plates that each vehicle must carry according to subsection 10(1) of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. Importers and dealers are primarily responsible to ensure that all new vehicles they sell carry compliance plates conforming to the ADR standards. Such plates, according to the authorities may be metal or stickers and must contain vehicle identification number, vehicle category, date of manufacture, description of vehicle and other details such as seating capacity. Adhesive labels may be affixed to vehicles but trailers must have metal plates. By law the plate must be placed in the vehicle in a way that it is visible and yet protected against damage. Various locations in and on the vehicle are specified according to the type of vehicle. In short, if a vehicle is sold it must have the identification plate. Such plates must be made in a manner that they last for the life duration of the vehicle.
Laser engraved compliance plates
Laser engraved compliance plates are the perfect answer to meeting the detailed guidelines of ADR as regards these plates. You could opt for photo chemical etched plates but these are prone to fading when exposed to light. Embossing is one way but it is difficult to emboss so many details in a small space and yet retain legibility. Laser engraving works directly on the Aluminium surface, burning away portions of metal and leaving a permanent mark that does not deteriorate for decades. One can use small sized fonts and still retain legibility. The plate can be made according to specified dimensions and you can still leave space for subsequent additions such as VIN that you wish to add later on. Embossing raises the surface but letters are not clearly visible due to the process. Chemical etching is prone to issues of fading. Lasers engrave the surface. This is a lasting and permanent technique.
Precise positioning
ADR specifies precise positioning of various elements within the plate as well as its size. For instance the dimensions must be 100mm x 50 mm for motor vehicles and 95mm x 35mm for two and three wheeled vehicles. The text must be accommodated within this area and must be clearly legible from normal viewing distance. There are other categories of plates such as low volume new vehicles and second stage of vehicle manufacture. Laser engraved compliance plates are perfect in that you can use smaller fonts and yet keep them clear, which is not easy to get with embossing or photo chemical etching. Metal compliance plates may not be mandatory for normal vehicles but are mandatory for trailers. However, since stickers, whether made of paper, foil or plastic, are liable to deteriorate over time, it is best to get metal labels compliant to ADR. For trailers the recommended size is 150mm x 110mm.
Stickers n Things offers fully ADR compliant laser-etched metal compliance plates, perfect down to the last detail. Get them and be free of worries about not being compliant.
