Rental shops routinely number inventory components and use those numbers as part of their permanent records. Even shops with the most meticulous records usually neglect to number and track bindings as a component, however, and that oversight could prove costly if equipment performance is called into question as a result of legal action against the shop.
Almost all rental operations assign unique inventory numbers to boots and skis. Those numbers can allow the shop to recreate a particular boot/binding/ski system only as long as the binding originally assigned to a particular ski remains with that ski throughout its service life. That is frequently not the case.
When skis are broken or removed from service due to damage or as part of an inventory update, the history of a specific binding can be lost. This normally happens when bindings are stripped from skis and stored for subsequent remounting without any inventory identification numbers. Recreation of a specific boot/binding/skis system that may be the subject of a lawsuit then becomes impossible.
This potentially costly situation can be avoided if bindings are assigned their own inventory numbers when they enter service. The actual history of each binding can then become part of the shop’s permanent records regardless of the number of times that it is moved from one ski to another.
In order to allow retrieval of a specific system, it is advisable to assign each binding component a left and right designation as well as an inventory number. With brands that consist of only two major components (Spademan, Burt and Besser, for example) assigning numbers and letters will take no more time than numbering boots or skis. With four-component toe-heel systems, the time involved in numbering doubles.
Several numbering options will work, but the simplest system that allows the shop to track each component over the years is the one that should be adopted. Assigning the same inventory number to each binding set component and adding a left/right designation will do the job (e.g., 100L and 100R for toes in a set, 100L and 100R for the heels in the same set, 101R and 101L for the next pair of toes and heels).
Additional information that may be valuable is the year that the binding component entered service. If the year is displayed on the bindings, shop mechanics will be able to visually identify inventory slated for specific service procedures or retirement without going through the permanent record files to obtain ski numbers (101L/85, for example).
Numbers on binding components can be applied in several ways. A machinist’s stamp set (which consists of punches numbered 0-9 and designed to be struck with a hammer) can be used on exposed metal parts such as mounting plates. Care should be taken so that parts are not damaged or deformed if punches are used.
An electric engraving pencil can record I.D. numbers on both metal and plastic parts. The hardened tips of these tools vibrate rapidly and they may bounce around a little when some materials are engraved. A few minutes practice on scrap materials will improve results dramatically.
Permanent felt tip markers can be used on most plastic binding parts. This is the fastest method of marking binding components, but in many cases it is the least durable. Cleaning solvents or the ingredients in some spray lubricants may inadvertantly erase even the most “permanent” of the permanent markers.
Whichever marking method is chosen, there are some guidelines that apply:
1) Always check with the manufacturer of the binding. Describe the marking method that you have chosen to use, and the part that you plan to mark.
2) Do not mark service parts that may be replaced.
3) Never mark a binding on a release interface (the Teflon AFD for example).
4) Numbers that are visible without being offensive to rental customers will do the most good.
Spend some time planning the introduction of binding I.D. numbers into the shop’s permanent records. Try to avoid needless replication, but take the time to identify bindings. Your inventory will be easier to access if you have to search for specific models, and you may sleep better knowing that a piece of equipment that could become important evidence will not get lost in some update or maintenance shuffle.
