Cable labelling tip

[ians]

I have a brother E550W with every size label for 9 mm - 24 mm in various colours etc etc ...even heat shrink tube for the label machine ... if the project allows for R1000 worth of lableling ... then no problem ... out with the phone ... open the labelling app and as I walk around the site typing the labels ... so the labels are printing on the brother machine in my van (using WiFi).

For wire markers ... I have been using legrand cip on cable markers for as long as I have been building panels ... they are not cheap but way easier than trying to slide those yeollow markers onto the cable prior to fitting the bootlace ... I noticed hellerman are now doing a similiar clip on marker ( I need to check the price)

I have been installing new and replacing and upgrading a few old DB's ... in some cases taking 3 DB's (add ons to the exisitng DB) and installing 1 big 3 level DB (even if it is only a single phase board) ... the challenge is marking the wires when you strip the panel so that it makes it easy to reconnect.

I have done a few factory moves (the biggest and most challenging was nampak ... the machine were really old ...especially the one which made the old boxer pacakaging) ... which are sometimes a challenge ... depending on the age of the machine (old ones have no drawings ... you loose a couple labels during the move and you scratching your head to find where they came out) ... I wish I had thought of using white heat shrink back then ... masking tape works ... but not good if left on the wire.

A tip - get a roll of white heat shrink and a thin koki (a sharpie as some call it) for 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm I use a 4.8 mm ... depeneding on the wire diameter ... so you increase the heat shrink diameter ... it is also handy if you want to keep circuit together ... use a bigger sleeve ... slide all 3/4/5 wires through the sleeve ... once the panel is reconnected you use a small heat gun and shrink the label to fit snug.