Label Makers

[just_lionel]

As long as we don't start naming wire colors maroon, Aquamarine, Cornsilk, Floral White, Lavender Blush, Spring Green, etc.

I like, Red White Blue Green Brown Black. I don't want to call my wife and ask her what color is this?

 

[BobB]

I have used only ver 2.something

What are the main differences? Any breaktrough?

Huge differences including FB and STL. CX-One now comes with everything including networking, D/Net configurator, simulator, motion etc etc. Full package. The latest processors also store symbols, labels and comments on board in ordinary memory. No need for flash cards.

I use grafoplast I think its better then all the printers.
Last longer and look better.

Believe me the thermal printed Brady ones I use look absolutely great. I am not talking about a portable device but a desktop thermal printer, labels on a large roll and sleeves that slide over the cable and accept the labels. They look as good as the Grafoplast ones but the printer is 1/4 the price. Can also put the printer in the bag and hook up to the laptop on site.

I just purchased a Dymo RhinoPRO 5000 handheld label printer.

I have one too but the tape has lousy adhesive. In the hot Ozzie summers the labels fall off. The Brady ID Pro has the best adhesive for stick on labels by far. Shame about the poor quality of the printer.

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.

Bit hard to use for me as nearly all wiring is in and out of PLC I/O plugs. the wire I use is 7/0.20 and you can buy it with a stripe but that is all. IDC connectors and colour coded cable can also be used but is expensive and the colours are repeated so the wires still have to be labelled. The flat ribbon is also a pain as it has to be separated and quite often that means that the insulation is stripped from one core. Absolute pain unless being wired to PLC proprietary terminals and relays. Not practical for me as most wires go to switches and lights.

Very good for some applications though.

 

[Alex Pel]

These things have to be labelled. I make my own with a Brady thermal transfer printer.

Can you please identify the model of Brady thermal transfer printer and WIRE MARKING LABELS part number? Also can you give me basic ideas about you own wire marking system?

Thank you.

 

[elevmike]

BobB,

Call Draka, They sell prenumberd color coded wire, there are others also. 300v or 600v 18ga MTW. We solder-dip the stripped ends and use them on the small PLC terminals. We have a standard chart to indicate what wire goes to what terminal. Makes the panel very colorfull.

 

[rsdoran]

The numbered/colored cables can be obtained in many configurations, the price is higher but it can save so much time/labor in many situations its worth the time to look closely at what is available.

To each their own.

 

[panic mode]

Tan (AKA Light Brown):

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

​

Oh, thanks... That's much better.

For a moment I tought it was short form of some fancy word
from fashion magazine. In my world colors are like on resistors:
Black, Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Gray, White, Gold and Silver. Thats it...
When mentioning shade it is accepted to use "light" and "dark".
For anything more precise i would prefer RGB values.
Imagine talking to a wife about her dress or shoes and using:
"Darling, where did you buy it? This wavelength is wonderfull..."

 

[darrenj]

We solder-dip the stripped ends and use them on the small PLC terminals.

Now this suprises me..i hate solder dipped ends..if you get any kind of load on the wire the solder softens and causes a loose connection..We had major problems with that at one plant.. It ment someone was in that cabinet once a month to tighten terminals untill we replaced the system..

JMO

D

 

[elevmike]

Panic,

Fortunately my mother bought me a 64 crayon Crayola box when I was in the 1st grade. She must have knowen it would come in handy when sometime in the distant future I'd be wiring control panels with various colored wires....So I've always taken "fucia, aqua, megentia, crimson, etc.. & TAN" for granted...

 

[elevmike]

Now this suprises me..i hate solder dipped ends..if you get any kind of load on the wire the solder softens and causes a loose connection..We had major problems with that at one plant.. It ment someone was in that cabinet once a month to tighten terminals untill we replaced the system..

JMO

D

Darren,

What kinda current loading would you be expecting from an PLC I/O? The solder dipping is often reccomended by the manufacure, and prevents the stranded wire from fraying/breaking possably causing other problems.

 

[rsdoran]

I have a habit of soldering or dipping wire ends too, with small loads from a PLC it should never be a problem. Wiring through a relay etc there may be larger wires and terminals so there is less a need. I have started using ferrules but they have there problems too.

 

[darrenj]

Darren,

What kinda current loading would you be expecting from an PLC I/O? The solder dipping is often reccomended by the manufacure, and prevents the stranded wire from fraying/breaking possably causing other problems.

Again its just my opinion..as for fraying/breaking thats the whole reson why the plants i service insist on starnded wire.. As for loads the PLC outputs were all for hydrolic solinoids and were all rated at 1 amp..some were relay contacts rated at 10 amp..all were done with 18 guage solder dipped wire..again even at 1 amp (At 24v) there was enough heat to soften the solder after a length of time.. The problems didnt start cropping up untill about 2 years later..at that time you could turn most screws on the Terminal block about 1 to 1 1/2 turns each..Beleive me it was a bugger to find..More so becouse the cards were diagnosic cards..Each terminal needed about 5 ma load to turn on..if it lost the 5 ma the card would turn the output off and would the load would not turn back on untill the output was cycled..However in the program it would show the load on..You looked at the I/O lights on the card and the light would be off.. Things got worse as time progressed becouse the 5ma load would drift..At the end some outputs with pilot lights would not turn on becouse it didnt see the required ma load...

 

[Lancie1]

Darren,

I doubt it was the solder. Stranded wire will "creep" in almost any screw terminal and will eventually require retorquing. Solder dipping is generally a useful method to prevent creeping, fraying, and whiskers. It takes a high temperature to melt lead. If you had that much heat, something else was wrong--wires too small, current too high, screw terminal threads too coarse, or wrong type of solder. Were any tests made to determine that the solder was at fault, or was this a convenient scapegoat?