Tracer
An identification thread is a product or material identification by means of a special thread usually inserted into the product . The thread can be made recognizable primarily through a prominent color design. It can, for example, be twisted together from individual threads with different colors.
The tracer is mainly used for ropes , cables , hoses , fabrics and foils . There it identifies a certain material or product type. One example is the proverbially well-known red thread , which was previously woven into the ropes of the British Navy as a recognition feature and thus indirectly as protection against theft.
The identification thread can be externally visible or it can be incorporated into the product in a concealed manner, for example in the middle of an electrical cable. In Germany, the black and red “VDE identification thread” is incorporated into electrical cables as proof of compliance with VDE regulations . In Austria, a red and white thread marks ÖVE conformity.
Identification threads as a product or trademark are subject to the provisions of the guidelines for the examination of trademark applications in Germany (guideline for trademark applications).