Durable Label Printer for PCBA Marking  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Dr_Neoo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 10:03:43 am
content: I'm looking into getting a label printer for putting labels (with serial nr, barcode etc). Preferably something that can print really small labels (down to 10x20 mm) and on a durable material (not paper).Our contract manufacturer does the labelling for larger runs so we only need something that can handle prototypes and lower quantities. I have looked at normal office label makers like Brother and Dymo but they seem limited in label size and material selection.Do you have suggestions of label printers that would be a good fit for our use case?

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 12:08:42 pm
content: I think the brother P-Touch series is pretty much what you need. The bundled software is basic but covers barcodes, serial numbers, connecting to a database/spreadsheet. The labels are durable in continuous tape in multiple widths between 6 and 36mm laminated. The cassettes are not cheap, but knockoffs exist if you don't mind the odd failure (which you can fix if you take the cassette apart). It is big step up in outlay to move to your Zebra/Brady/CAB industrial ones. There are also heatshrink ones for cables and other specialist tape typesA cheap but much less flexible option is the NiimBOT range from China EBay/Aliexpress

author: Gribo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 02:19:54 pm
content: You should consider production level printers from Zebra, Brady, TSC and others. Will these boards go through additional production steps, such as wash, reflow, re-work? do you use standard stock labels? Do you need automation - SN barcode or QR code generation?The label suppliers (Brady, Scientific American, others) have various label types for each size, anything from paper & polyester to shiny metallic labels, for various temperature and durability requirements.The Zebra printers are expensive but reliable and have very simple mechanism and print heads. TSC offers a 600dpi model in desktop form factor for ~800USD, last I checked.Most of them come with a limited, free version of their labelling SW.

author: Rat_Patrol
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2023, 03:57:41 pm
content: Quote from: Gribo on April 19, 2023, 02:19:54 pmTemp is the biggest question IMHO.We label all our boards sequentially, so we just had a label maker print us up kapton labels. They can handle reflow, water wash, whatever. They are cheap (no need to buy our own setup) and just work.If you only need post-production durability, I would imagine maybe waterproof is all you need, in which case maybe take a look at the P-Touch line.

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2023, 10:53:46 am
content: Quote from: Rat_Patrol on April 19, 2023, 03:57:41 pmThis is the simplest way to do things, a unique ID on a label perhaps even in QR form, your logo if you like and that does all a label needs to do. Now you could then link up a nice database and a barcode scanner and scan all the individually labelled components of an assembled unit so you know how they left you and when. If customers play swapsies you'll know, and by having a label before any processing starts you can track everything at board level, or even component level if you are tracking your stock to works orders too (you should be).

author: geggi1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2023, 01:19:43 pm
content: Wago got something that is made for terminal lables that takes diffrent sizes and kinds of lables.We had a Wago salesrep wisiting us this week and the price was in the range of maximum 300$ as far as i remember.