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Data Center Printer Labels, Tags & Ribbons - Purchasing Considerations
When purchasing labels for a data center, especially those compatible with systems from a company like Honeywell (known for various data center solutions), the primary considerations revolve around compliance, durability, clarity, and system compatibility.
Here are the key purchasing considerations for data center labels:
Purchasing Considerations - Honeywell Labels - Data Centers
1. Compliance with Standards: Labeling should adhere to industry-specific standards for consistency and efficiency, which is a major factor in improving uptime and reducing human error.
ANSI/TIA-606-D (or latest version): This is the key standard for administration, including labeling and record keeping, for all physical network infrastructure components (cables, racks, panels, etc.). Labels should follow the standard's naming conventions and hierarchical structure.
Logical and Consistent Schemes: Ensure the label provider can support a system that is logical, consistent across all components and locations, and easily traceable.
2. Durability and Environmental Resistance: Data center environments have unique conditions that require specialized label materials.
Material Selection: Choose materials like polyester (for excellent chemical and temperature resistance) or laminated labels (for superior abrasion protection). Vinyl labels are often a cost-effective choice for indoor applications.
The labels must be resistant to:
High Temperatures (especially in hot aisles) and low temperatures.
High Humidity to prevent adhesive failure.
Fading and smudging from cleaning or handling.
Abrasion from frequent maintenance or cable movement.
Adhesive Strength: The adhesive must be strong, permanent, and appropriate for the surfaces (e.g., metal, plastic, curved cables) to ensure the labels do not fall off.
3. Clarity and Content: The labels are useless if they cannot be quickly and accurately read.
Legibility: Use legible fonts, appropriate text sizes, and high contrast between the text and background.
Machine-Readable Formats: Incorporate machine-readable formats like barcodes or QR codes when possible to streamline inventory and asset tracking systems.
Required Information: Labels, especially for cables, should include essential information like:
Unique Identifier/Asset Tag
Source and Destination Endpoints
Cable Type and Length (best practice)
Placement: Ensure labels are designed to be easily placed and visible on components like both ends of every cable, and on the front and rear of racks.
4. Printing and System Integration: Consider how the labels will be printed and managed within your existing data center systems.
Printing Method: Labels are typically printed using thermal transfer (for high durability and long-term readability) or direct thermal methods (often for temporary labels or when less durability is needed). Honeywell/Intermec offers various Duratherm Direct Thermal Labels and thermal transfer options.
Printer Compatibility: If you already use Honeywell or Intermec printers, ensure the media (labels and ribbons) are certified for optimal performance with those specific models.
Integration with DCIM/Asset Management: The labeling scheme should directly support your digital record-keeping system (DCIM or spreadsheet) for managing assets, which helps in quick documentation updates and audits.
Specific Recommendations
Thermal Transfer over Direct Thermal: Thermal transfer (TT) labels use a ribbon to create a permanent, durable image that resists fading, smudging, and environmental factors like heat and light. Direct thermal (DT) labels, while convenient (no ribbon needed), are heat-sensitive and have a shorter lifespan, making them less suitable for long-term asset tracking in potentially warm data center environments.
Durable Synthetic Materials: Materials such as polypropylene and polyester are essential for labels that must withstand high heat, moisture, chemicals, and general abrasion common in a data center.
Permanent Adhesive: A strong, permanent acrylic adhesive is crucial to ensure labels remain affixed to equipment and cables over their entire lifespan.
Self-Laminating Labels for Cables: For wire and cable identification, self-laminating vinyl labels are highly recommended. These feature a clear "tail" that wraps around the printed area, protecting the information from physical abrasion and moisture.
Tamper-Evident Labels: For high-security or critical assets, tamper-evident or destructible labels are available. These labels leave a residue or break apart if someone attempts to remove them, indicating interference.
Compliance: Using these durable, long-lasting materials helps ensure compliance with industry standards like ANSI/TIA-606-B, which requires all labels to have permanent identifiers that remain legible and resistant to external influences throughout their service life.
*For data center use with Honeywell industrial printers, the recommended labels are primarily made from durable, synthetic materials like polyester and polypropylene, utilizing thermal transfer printing technology with permanent adhesive. This approach ensures longevity, legibility, and resistance to the environmental conditions within a data center, meeting standards like ANSI/TIA-606-B/C.
Recommended Label Materials and Types
Polyester (PET) Labels: These are the most common choice for general asset labeling of servers, racks, and switches due to their excellent durability, tear resistance, and ability to withstand high temperatures and harsh chemicals.
Polypropylene (PP) Labels: These synthetic labels offer good durability and are more flexible than polyester, making them a versatile and cost-effective option for various general-purpose, high-volume labeling applications within the data center.
Vinyl Labels: Particularly useful for cable and wire identification, vinyl labels conform well to curved surfaces. Self-laminating vinyl labels are a popular choice as they have a clear protective layer that wraps around the printed text, safeguarding it from abrasion, moisture, and oil.
Tamper-Evident Labels: For tracking highly sensitive or valuable assets, these labels are designed to break apart or leave a "VOID" residue if removal is attempted, indicating unauthorized access.
Heat-Shrink Tubing: For un-terminated wires or cables, heat-shrink tubing provides superior, permanent identification with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance.
Recommended label types - for data centers include durable polyester, vinyl for cables, and tamper-evident options, primarily using thermal transfer printing.
Key Performance Requirements:
Thermal Transfer Printing: This method is highly recommended over direct thermal printing for data center applications. Thermal transfer labels use a ribbon to create a permanent, durable image that resists fading, smudging, and degradation over time, which is essential for labels that need to last the life of the component. Permanent Adhesive: A strong, permanent acrylic adhesive is crucial to ensure labels remain securely attached to various surfaces (metal, plastic, curved cables) in the data center environment.
Environmental Resistance: Labels must be resistant to environmental conditions such as varying temperatures, humidity, dust, and exposure to cleaning chemicals to maintain legibility and adhesion. Legibility and Durability: TIA-606-B/C standards mandate that labels must be machine-generated (printed, not handwritten), easy to read, and durable enough to last for the expected lifespan of the labeled equipment.
Tamper-Evident Labels: For tracking highly sensitive or valuable assets, these labels are designed to break apart or leave a "VOID" residue if removal is attempted, indicating unauthorized access. Heat-Shrink Tubing: For un-terminated wires or cables, heat-shrink tubing provides superior, permanent identification with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. Recommended label types for data centers include durable polyester, vinyl for cables, and tamper-evident options, primarily using thermal transfer printing.
*Select from Honeywell, Zebra & SATO stock labels, tags & ribbons for your data center application. See links below. If you would like a custom label or tag please e-Mail to:
Here are the key purchasing considerations for data center labels:
1. Compliance with Standards: Labeling should adhere to industry-specific standards for consistency and efficiency, which is a major factor in improving uptime and reducing human error.
ANSI/TIA-606-D (or latest version): This is the key standard for administration, including labeling and record keeping, for all physical network infrastructure components (cables, racks, panels, etc.). Labels should follow the standard's naming conventions and hierarchical structure.
Logical and Consistent Schemes: Ensure the label provider can support a system that is logical, consistent across all components and locations, and easily traceable.
2. Durability and Environmental Resistance: Data center environments have unique conditions that require specialized label materials.
Material Selection: Choose materials like polyester (for excellent chemical and temperature resistance) or laminated labels (for superior abrasion protection). Vinyl labels are often a cost-effective choice for indoor applications.
The labels must be resistant to:
High Temperatures (especially in hot aisles) and low temperatures.
High Humidity to prevent adhesive failure.
Fading and smudging from cleaning or handling.
Abrasion from frequent maintenance or cable movement.
Adhesive Strength: The adhesive must be strong, permanent, and appropriate for the surfaces (e.g., metal, plastic, curved cables) to ensure the labels do not fall off.
3. Clarity and Content: The labels are useless if they cannot be quickly and accurately read.
Legibility: Use legible fonts, appropriate text sizes, and high contrast between the text and background.
Machine-Readable Formats: Incorporate machine-readable formats like barcodes or QR codes when possible to streamline inventory and asset tracking systems.
Required Information: Labels, especially for cables, should include essential information like:
Unique Identifier/Asset Tag
Source and Destination Endpoints
Cable Type and Length (best practice)
Placement: Ensure labels are designed to be easily placed and visible on components like both ends of every cable, and on the front and rear of racks.
4. Printing and System Integration: Consider how the labels will be printed and managed within your existing data center systems.
Printing Method: Labels are typically printed using thermal transfer (for high durability and long-term readability) or direct thermal methods (often for temporary labels or when less durability is needed). Honeywell/Intermec offers various Duratherm Direct Thermal Labels and thermal transfer options.
Printer Compatibility: If you already use Honeywell or Intermec printers, ensure the media (labels and ribbons) are certified for optimal performance with those specific models.
Integration with DCIM/Asset Management: The labeling scheme should directly support your digital record-keeping system (DCIM or spreadsheet) for managing assets, which helps in quick documentation updates and audits.
Purchasing Considerations - Honeywell Labels - Data Centers
| Application | Recommended Material | Technology | Key Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset Management (Servers, Racks, Equipment) | Polyester or Polypropylene | Thermal Transfer | Highly durable, tear-resistant, heat-resistant, chemical-resistant, long-term readability. |
| Cable & Wire Labeling | Vinyl (Self-laminating) or Polypropylene | Thermal Transfer | Conformable to curved surfaces, excellent water/oil/abrasion resistance, self-extinguishing properties (vinyl), permanent adhesive. |
| General Purpose (Short-term use, non-critical) | Paper (Top-coated) | Thermal Transfer or Direct Thermal | Lower cost, excellent print quality, suitable for controlled indoor environments, less resistant to harsh elements. |
Specific Recommendations
Thermal Transfer over Direct Thermal: Thermal transfer (TT) labels use a ribbon to create a permanent, durable image that resists fading, smudging, and environmental factors like heat and light. Direct thermal (DT) labels, while convenient (no ribbon needed), are heat-sensitive and have a shorter lifespan, making them less suitable for long-term asset tracking in potentially warm data center environments.
Durable Synthetic Materials: Materials such as polypropylene and polyester are essential for labels that must withstand high heat, moisture, chemicals, and general abrasion common in a data center.
Permanent Adhesive: A strong, permanent acrylic adhesive is crucial to ensure labels remain affixed to equipment and cables over their entire lifespan.
Self-Laminating Labels for Cables: For wire and cable identification, self-laminating vinyl labels are highly recommended. These feature a clear "tail" that wraps around the printed area, protecting the information from physical abrasion and moisture.
Tamper-Evident Labels: For high-security or critical assets, tamper-evident or destructible labels are available. These labels leave a residue or break apart if someone attempts to remove them, indicating interference.
Compliance: Using these durable, long-lasting materials helps ensure compliance with industry standards like ANSI/TIA-606-B, which requires all labels to have permanent identifiers that remain legible and resistant to external influences throughout their service life.
*For data center use with Honeywell industrial printers, the recommended labels are primarily made from durable, synthetic materials like polyester and polypropylene, utilizing thermal transfer printing technology with permanent adhesive. This approach ensures longevity, legibility, and resistance to the environmental conditions within a data center, meeting standards like ANSI/TIA-606-B/C.
Recommended Label Materials and Types
Polyester (PET) Labels: These are the most common choice for general asset labeling of servers, racks, and switches due to their excellent durability, tear resistance, and ability to withstand high temperatures and harsh chemicals.
Polypropylene (PP) Labels: These synthetic labels offer good durability and are more flexible than polyester, making them a versatile and cost-effective option for various general-purpose, high-volume labeling applications within the data center.
Vinyl Labels: Particularly useful for cable and wire identification, vinyl labels conform well to curved surfaces. Self-laminating vinyl labels are a popular choice as they have a clear protective layer that wraps around the printed text, safeguarding it from abrasion, moisture, and oil.
Tamper-Evident Labels: For tracking highly sensitive or valuable assets, these labels are designed to break apart or leave a "VOID" residue if removal is attempted, indicating unauthorized access.
Heat-Shrink Tubing: For un-terminated wires or cables, heat-shrink tubing provides superior, permanent identification with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance.
Recommended label types - for data centers include durable polyester, vinyl for cables, and tamper-evident options, primarily using thermal transfer printing.
Key Performance Requirements:
Thermal Transfer Printing: This method is highly recommended over direct thermal printing for data center applications. Thermal transfer labels use a ribbon to create a permanent, durable image that resists fading, smudging, and degradation over time, which is essential for labels that need to last the life of the component. Permanent Adhesive: A strong, permanent acrylic adhesive is crucial to ensure labels remain securely attached to various surfaces (metal, plastic, curved cables) in the data center environment.
Environmental Resistance: Labels must be resistant to environmental conditions such as varying temperatures, humidity, dust, and exposure to cleaning chemicals to maintain legibility and adhesion. Legibility and Durability: TIA-606-B/C standards mandate that labels must be machine-generated (printed, not handwritten), easy to read, and durable enough to last for the expected lifespan of the labeled equipment.
Tamper-Evident Labels: For tracking highly sensitive or valuable assets, these labels are designed to break apart or leave a "VOID" residue if removal is attempted, indicating unauthorized access. Heat-Shrink Tubing: For un-terminated wires or cables, heat-shrink tubing provides superior, permanent identification with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance. Recommended label types for data centers include durable polyester, vinyl for cables, and tamper-evident options, primarily using thermal transfer printing.
*Select from Honeywell, Zebra & SATO stock labels, tags & ribbons for your data center application. See links below. If you would like a custom label or tag please e-Mail to:
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