Product, Facility, & Safety Identification Solutions

Identifying hundreds of thousands of cables, racks, shelves and other telecommunications equipment - clearly and consistently - was a formidable challenge for one large telecom provider. But the company recently managed to find several solutions to meet its large variety of labeling needs.

With sites located throughout North America, the company needed to improve component identification to better manage its network access and voice and data networks. All solutions needed to satisfy the company's internal labeling specifications so that equipment could be quickly and easily located and allow faster troubleshooting. In addition, contractors who installed equipment at any site also had to comply with company standards.

Specifically, the company needed a system to enable staff to pull information directly from existing cable run lists, edit the information, and preview it before printing. They also needed a flexible solution that would allow staff in an office to print from a PC, as well as a printer that could be taken to remote locations and used as a stand-alone device.

The company evaluated a number of benchtop and portable printing systems before deciding to standardize with Brady's TLS 2200® Thermal Labeling System. Along with LabelMark label design software, the system has enabled staff to import data, preview, edit and print without having to manually enter any information. This automated solution has significantly reduced the amount of human errors resulting from manual entry.

To address its large number of labeling applications, the company also sought a system that supported a wide variety of label materials and sizes - ideally, industrial labels and adhesives specifically developed for telecom applications.

For marking different types and diameters of cable typically found at its sites, large, self-laminating cable markers were ideal. For racks and shelving with "hard-to-stick-to" powder coated surfaces, continuous labels with ultra-aggressive adhesives were the solution. For labeling curved objects such as power and ground cables, the company used Brady B427 self-laminating labels with a specially developed tag material that adheres to curved surfaces.

Meanwhile, installation technicians have found that the system's "smart cell" technology has helped them save both time and money by speeding the labeling process and eliminating label waste. Smart cell technology allows technicians to easily load labels into the machine and print without having to calibrate or format the printer or labels.

The telecom provider now requires its contractors to use this new system when installing equipment at any of its hundreds of sites, and it has become an important and valuable tool used by its technicians.