Label Applicator

We are investigating the labeling of bare, stranded conductors and are running into a road block.

UL apparently requires that the conductors (dia. 0.33 – 0.65”) have a label applied, in ring form, every 10 feet.

The label itself is 2.1875 x 1.375”

I would like to apply these at rewinding, from the master to the shipping reel at a decent linear speed.
Does anyone know of an applicator which can do this?


Best Regards,

Willy Hauer

www.Howarequipment.com

Willy,

To apply this ring label suggests that the line speed would have to stop for a few seconds and accumulators would be used to maintain the line speed.

Lets imagine that it takes three seconds to mechanically apply the ring label and one second to reset the labeling mechanism giving a 4 second label cycle. That would mean 60/4 = 15 labels per minute and the slave line speed would be 15 x 10 feet spacing or 150 feet per minute maximum.

Is that what you are thinking in terms of line speed?

I would think however that the length of the label would have to be such as to give one complete ring, say 360 to 365 degrees coverage, on the conductor instead of putting the longest label on all conductor diameters. This then would suggest both a custom label perforating machine or cutter during the application and ink jet printing.

I don't know a company that presently makes such a machine but I can certainly see how it could be done at say 100 to 150 feet per minute.

Best regards,
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your input, always appreciated.

I have actually been thinking of a moving table on which the applicator is mounted, similar to an in-line cut-off saw. The label itself, I am sure, can be customized to suit.

I am not sure if the ink jet will work since the conductors are some irregular stranded constructions leaving a rather “rough” surface which might not allow for consistent reading.

The line speed I am looking at is 250 – 300 ft/min.

At this point the main issue is really the applicator itself.

Best Regards
Willy
www.Howarequipment.com

Hi again Willy,

I envision a stationary table (To keep the inertia down.) that the conductor would be clamped to at the time the ring label was applied. I also envisioned the label would be printed and dried before application.

The ring applicator head itself would be somewhat similar in basic design to a coil tape applicator.

Best regards,
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

I agree with the coil tape applicator design, but given the size, I would actually recommend using trying maybe 5 setups at once (10 feet apart) and utilize a tape which can be heat shrunk through a heat tunnel to ensure tightness. This is also presuming that the tolerance on the 10 feet spacing is relatively light.

Another thought is to actually use actual heat shrink tubes which are slit lengthwise. If there is an adhesive inner layer, you can fit these over the wire on the fly and the use the tunnel heat. Now the question becomes how locked in do you need the label.

Also depends heavily on process quantities that you are talking about.

Erik Macs
VP North American Machinery Sales
Fine International Corporation
148 Oak Street
Natick, MA 01760 USA
508-315-8200 fax: 508-315-3621
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I've got a dumb question:
The label itself is 2.1875 x 1.375” and the smallest wire is 0.33 which means the circumference is approximately 1.00" . Any way you wrap the label around the wire it will either overlap or be loose. If loose it will move, if overlapped part of the legend may be covered. What am I missing here?