How to identify the age of a lineGrip rubber plate

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How to identify the age of a lineGrip rubber plate

Each rubber plate is marked with a production number, a so called batch-, or series-number, that clearly identifies its production date.

This production number is embossed or laser-etched on the side of the metal carrier plate, as seen in the following examples.

Example of new rubber plate T3S4X
(laser etched)

Example of some rubber plates (fttb): T2S2, T2S4, T3S0(pre), T3S1(tiny), T3S2, T3S5

Example of old rubber plate T2S5
(embossed)

To date (April 2021) five rubber types are found “in the wild”:

  • Type-1 with steel carrier plate without any mark
  • Type-2 with steel carrier plate and embossed • or •• or 2 to 9
  • Type-3 with aluminum carrier plate and laser etched number T3S1 – T3S9 (About 100 pre series Type-3 plates were shipped with manually embossed numbers 0 or 31).
  • Type-4 with high corrosion resistant aluminum carrier plate, and micro lamellae rubber surface structure for optimum webbing grip
  • Type-5 with ultra high corrosion resistant aluminum carrier plate, and micro lamellae rubber surface structure for optimum webbing grip, and revolutionary new “grey” rubber compound for zero webbing marks in the case of slippage (while still retaining the T3/T4 rubber grip reliability)

Explore Details about the different lineGrip rubber types >

 

Determining the age of your lineGrip’s rubber coatings:

Compare the stamped batch number on the rubber plates of your lineGrip to the chart at the bottom of this page to determine their age.

Please note, its not solely the duration of use, that counts, its the production date, respectively, the rubbers true age. Of course it can be considered as “no strain”, when the lineGrip has just been stored in the dealers shelf, or the distributors warehouse, away from light and heat, but nevertheless this timespan can not be excluded. We suggest to take this “shelf/storage time” into account with 50% for determining the age.

Example: Your rubber plates are marked with T3S2 (production date is April 2015) and you bought the lineGrip from a dealer in Nov. 2015, after which you frequently but not intensively used it. The rubber’s age should thus be determined as: 7 x 0.5 (the shelf time) + months from Nov. 2015 until today. Assuming its Nov. 2017 now, your rubber plates should be considered to be about 27-28 months old, which means, that they should be replaced asap.

Learn more about when and why to replace the lineGrip rubber plates >

 

lineGrip rubber plate production number keys

StampType of stampProduction DateDescriptionReplacement note
blank-January 2011Type-1 RubberMUST be replaced!
May NOT be used anymore!!!
embossedMarch 2011Type-2 Rubber, Series 1MUST be replaced!
May NOT be used anymore!!!
•• or 2embossedJune 2011Type-2 Rubber, Series 2MUST be replaced!
May NOT be used anymore!!!
3embossedNov. 2011Type-2 Rubber, Series 3MUST be replaced!
May NOT be used anymore!!!
4embossedJuly 2012Type-2 Rubber, Series 4MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
5embossedDec. 2012Type-2 Rubber, Series 5MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
6embossedJan. 2013Type-2 Rubber, Series 6MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
7embossedJuly 2013Type-2 Rubber, Series 7MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
8embossedDec. 2013Type-2 Rubber, Series 8MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T2S8laser etchedDec. 2013Type-2 Rubber, Series 8MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
9embossedJan. 2014Type-2 Rubber, Series 9MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
0embossedMarch 2014Type-3 Rubber, Pre-SeriesMUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
31embossedMay 2014Type-3 Rubber, Series 1MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S1laser etched (tiny)May 2014Type-3 Rubber, Series 1MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S2laser etchedApril 2015Type-3 Rubber, Series 2MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S3laser etchedJuly 2016Type-3 Rubber, Series 3MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S4(X)laser etchedFeb. 2017Type-3 Rubber, Series 4MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S5laser etchedSept. 2017Type-3 Rubber, Series 5MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S6laser etchedJan. 2018Type-3 Rubber, Series 6MUST be replaced!
Do NOT use anymore!!!
T3S7embossedAug. 2018Type-3 Rubber, Series 7Must be replaced asap!
T3S8laser etchedDec. 2018Type-3 Rubber, Series 8Must be replaced asap!
T3S9laser etchedMay 2019Type-3 Rubber, Series 9Should be replaced soon!
T3S3•9
T3S3•19
laser etched
& embossed
Dec. 2019Type-3 Rubber, Series 3
special 2019 edition
Should be replaced soon!
T4S1laser etchedApril 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 1OK
Heavy user: replace soon
T4S2laser etchedJune 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 2OK
T4S3laser etchedAug. 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 3OK
T4S4laser etchedOct. 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 4OK
T4S5laser etchedOct. 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 5
(intermediate only 100)
OK
T4S6laser etchedNov. 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 6
(intermediate only 100)
OK
T4S7laser etchedNov. 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 7
(intermediate only 50)
OK
T4S8laser etchedDec. 2020Type-4 Rubber, Series 8
(intermediate only 50)
OK
T4S9laser etchedJan. 2021Type-4 Rubber, Series 9OK
T5S1laser etchedFeb. 2021Type-5 Rubber, Series 1OK