Label Makers

[CaseyK]

You guys label wires???

WOW! I'm impressed!

I interviewed at a plant in Illinois this week and was shown four newly installed panels with ControLogix operating in them, with NO markers or labels at all. Someone had identified the cabinets with a "Sharpie".

This was a major manufacturer with several other plants

Unlimited controls budget, but forget the frills!

Oh well.

regards.....casey

 

[LadderLogic]

I hate labeling wires. But I do it anyway - it would be very unprofessional otherwise.

I cannot speak for the whole Europe, but some of our German equipment has very few wire labels in it. There is that Lapp cable with numbered wires, each wire number is thoroughly documented in the prints, including the specific device and terminal number it goes to.

You can be sure that that wire is connected exactly to that terminal - period. So only the devices and the cables are marked - not individual wires.

I am a bit jealous since the last quote I received from Lapp vendor scared the living hell out of my boss. Oh well...

 

[BobB]

Just finishing off a control panel for a swimming pool at the moment. The PLC has 2 x 64 bit input cards, 1 x 32 bit input card, 2 x 64 bit output cards, 1 x 8 channel anaolg output card, 22 drives, field isolators etc etc, 320 terminals, a multitude of lights, push buttons and switches.

These things have to be labelled. I make my own with a Brady thermal transfer printer. I am lead to believe the wire markers I use are not available in the US from Brady.

By the way, the 64 bit PLC cards are about the size of a cigarette packet. Will try and post a photo later on.

 

[Hundikoer]

Hi BobB

What brand has so small cards?
Omron?

 

[BobB]

What brand has so small cards?
Omron?

Yes. CJ1. Same processor and instruction set as CS1. No rack either. Saves lots of space.

 

[Hundikoer]

Omron cont..

When I had to program these we used 32 pt. cards. It was just after launch, so maybe these bigger ones were not ready yet.

Programming software is matter of taste ofcourse..

 

[BobB]

I started using 64 bit straight away (and 32 bit). With CS1 I normally use 96 bit and 64/32 bit for the leftover I/O.

Love the high density. Buy the 40 pin plugs and make my own cables. Saves me heaps and allows me to make the cables the length I want.

Some wires are long to go to doors and others short to ge to relays etc.

Have done the same with GE-Fanuc etc etc. Gives one great flexibility.

For software, CX-Programmer is the only program for CJ1 and CS1. I now use CX-One which includes CX-Programmer V6.

 

[Hundikoer]

BobB

I have used only ver 2.something

What are the main differences? Any breaktrough?

 

[ArikBY]

I use grafoplast I think its better then all the printers.
Last longer and look better.
http://www.grafoplast.com/index.html

 

[rsdoran]

I have found that many European companies (and some of the larger American companies) will use pre-labeled and pre-numbered cables with din terminals that have some form of alphanumeric designation. I think its optional whether you have the terminals pre-labeled or do it yourself...several options on how to mark.

The last panel I built had these cables etc so it eliminated alot of wire marking.

 

[elevmike]

Bingo!

I have found that many European companies (and some of the larger American companies) will use pre-labeled and pre-numbered cables with din terminals that have some form of alphanumeric designation. I think its optional whether you have the terminals pre-labeled or do it yourself...several options on how to mark.

The last panel I built had these cables etc so it eliminated alot of wire marking.

Exactly. I dont remember a field harness or cabnet that we did not use pre-marked wire. Wire is cheap, time is expensive.

So what we do is mark the terminal with the terminal designation AND the wire number & color. Any idiot can follow it.

Wires are color coded and marked like so:
Yel 1-10
Org 11-20
Tan 21-30
Blu 31-40
Red 41-50
Blk 51-60
Gry 61-70
Pnk 71-80... and so on...and on....

I shudder to think what it would be like to individually mark every single wire.... I feel for thoes who do.

 

[benanna]

I just purchased a Dymo RhinoPRO 5000 handheld label printer. I don't have much to compare it with, but I've been very happy with it so far and it is very reasonably priced compared to some of the other options. More info at:
http://global.dymo.com/enUS/Products/RhinoPRO_5000.html

 

[panic mode]

Any idiot can follow it.

Wires are color coded and marked like so:
Tan 21-30

what the heck is Tan...?

 

[Eric Nelson]

what the heck is Tan...?

Tan (AKA Light Brown):

A color rarely seen in multiconductor cables outside the elevator industry... ​

REAL answer HERE...



-Eric

 

[elevmike]

what the heck is Tan...?

Tan is a color. Kinda how a nice burnette looks after a few hours on the beach....

After Pink comes Brown, (really really tan). Brown wires are labled from 81 through 90.