The underestimated danger to process reliability: outdoor storage in winter.

Kissing, 16 February 2026 - In the steel industry, the demands placed on people and materials are extreme. In particular, logistics in outdoor storage facilities face a severe test in winter when frost, ice and moisture come into contact with rough steel surfaces and conventional marking solutions often fail very quickly. S+P Samson GmbH, a specialist in industrial marking with over 45 years' experience, presents strategies for reliable identification in the most challenging environmental conditions.

The weak point in the process: the external warehouse
Steel products are often stored outdoors for weeks at a time. During this time, they are exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations. Conventional labels become brittle at sub-zero temperatures and lose their adhesive strength, causing them to fall off. This results in costly information loss: without clear labelling, the digital process chain breaks down, batches have to be identified manually at great expense and loading logistics come to a standstill..

'We often find that the choice of labelling only becomes an issue when the first batches 'disappear' in the outdoor storage facility,' explains Florian Baeumler, CSO of S+P Samson GmbH. 'Yet this source of error can be almost completely eliminated by choosing the right materials.'

Technological response to ice and snow
To ensure traceability, S+P Samson relies on highly resistant plastic labels that have been specially developed to adhere to cold, rough or slightly damp surfaces. The combination of a special adhesive and a robust carrier material ensures that the information remains firmly attached to steel, even at temperatures well below freezing.

Another key factor is legibility: the print images must be designed so that they remain machine-readable even after icing and subsequent de-icing. This guarantees that the forklift driver or logistics employee can record the data without leaving the vehicle - a decisive factor for occupational safety and efficiency in extreme cold.

Best practices for stable processes
Optimised labelling stabilises the entire workflow, not just the label itself. By eliminating search times and rework, steelworks benefit from significantly more robust processes. S+P Samson's expertise in heavy industry, developed over four decades, enables it to configure the exact system solution for every plant, from the casting platform to the outdoor storage area.

For plant and logistics managers, this means one less thing to worry about during the winter season: the certainty that every steel part can be clearly identified at any time.

S+P Samson GmbH
Industriestr. 32
86438 Kissing
Germany

https://sp-samson.com

Nadja Hoermann
08233846187

nadja.hoermann@sp-samson.com

Founded in 1978, S+P Samson GmbH is a global manufacturer of labeling systems for extreme industrial requirements. The company develops and distributes labels that enable the reliable identification of goods even under conditions of extreme temperatures, chemical or mechanical stress. S+P Samson is the market leader with its GRAPHIPLAST (R) plastic labels. S+P Samson advises on individual identification concepts that are characterized by the optimal interaction of label and printing system. As a system supplier, S+P Samson offers labeling, printing, and identification solutions based on barcodes and RFID. For more information, visit www.sp-samson.com.

This release was published on openPR.