Patent ID: 8564656

Claim:
A method for identifying surface characteristics of elongate metallurgical pieces formed from separation of a bar into the pieces, comprising: applying a mark to at least one separation surface at an end of one of the pieces, each separation surface being one of the surfaces that faces a surface of an adjacent piece formed from the same bar; and deriving information about the surface characteristics of the piece based on analysis of interaction between the mark and radiation, the information deriving step comprising: directing radiation of a first wavelength from a first radiation source at a portion of the at least one separation surface including the mark to cause interaction between the mark and the directed radiation; directing radiation of a second wavelength from a second radiation source at a portion of the at least one separation surface including the mark to cause interaction between the mark and the directed radiation, the second wavelength being different than the first wavelength; directing radiation of a third wavelength from a third radiation source at a portion of the at least one separation surface including the mark to cause interaction between the mark and the directed radiation, the third wavelength being different than the first and second wavelengths, the first, second and third radiation sources being positioned relative to one another such that the mark on the at least one separation surface is irradiated by the first, second and third radiation sources from three different directions; obtaining at least one image of a portion of the at least one separation surface including the mark, using at least one digital imaging device, while the mark has radiation from the first, second and third radiation sources directed thereto; storing the at least one image in a data storage device; and enabling analysis of the at least one image to identify surface characteristics of the piece including at least one of an identification of the piece, surface properties of the piece, and surface structure of the piece.