Cable markers are used to identify and label wire or cables, conduit and bundles. They are important when building or setting up equipment to ensure safe and effective maintenance system updates in the future.
There is a large variety of markers available that are manufactured to suit different industries and applications. They vary in size, colour, material and affixing method. Many are colour coded to the international resistor colour code. Wire and cable markers are commonly manufactured from PVC, polyolefin, vinyl, nylon, polyester and steel.
To select the type of marker you require, it is important to consider the following information:
Markers are categorised by their affixing method:
Adhesive and self-laminating - Ideal for use with wires that have already been terminated. They easily wrap around the wire and cover the marker with a clear protective layer. They can be written on by hand or used with a label printer.
Clip and slide on - These markers are colour-coded and pre-printed with letter, numbers and symbols. They are provided as single characters that can be combined to create a legend. They are cut in different shapes such as straight or chevron cut to fit together. Slide on markers must be applied pre-termination whereas clip-on markers can be applied before or after termination. They can be applied by hand or installation tools can assist mounting.
Heat shrink - Heat shrink cable markers manufactured from polyolefin are flexible, durable and will not fall off once installed. They're applied pre-termination and are available pre-printed with standard letters, numbers and symbols. Or blank to be used with compatible laser printer systems.
Tie on - Tie on tags and markers are used with larger bundles and cables. They are commonly blank plates/tags that can be used with slide on markers, printers or handwritten, then mounted using cable ties. Their design allows them to be manufactured from robust materials including metal that are highly resistant and suited for use in harsh environments.