Anode rod tracking system for electrolysis plants

A method for operating an electrolysis plant is described where said plant has an anode assembling station 20 ( with a rod mark reading station with means for reading the machine readable rod mark and an anode mark reading station with means for reading the machine-readable anode mark). A potroom 30 and a butt return station 40 (comprising a rod mark reading station with an anode rod divert section 50 into which rods can be diverted if the machine-readable rod mark cannot be read). A butt treatment station in which said anode assembly is separated into the anode rod and the used anode butt. A production management system, an anode marking station (with means for marking the anode with a machine-readable, individual anode mark) is used. A rod marking station 70 (with means for marking the anode rod with a machine-readable, individual rod mark and an alphanumeric individual rod mark), and at least one handheld rod mark reading station is also present. The method of use of these stations is also further defined in the application. In the case that said machine-readable rod mark (Rn) can be read by said rod mark reading station, then this reading is entered in said production management system and the rod is transported to said anode assembly station for further use. If not then it may be manually entered into the system.