2. what was done before. It takes time to use a
toner to ring out wires, and you don’t want
to have to pull new wires.”
Complex labeling needs arise
daily in the workplace as
electricians work alongside
safety managers, 5S/Lean
and datacom professionals
in varying site conditions.
Compliance with OSHA
safety/hazard communica-
tion standards as well as
industry-specific ANSI,
NFPA, NEMA and NEC
codes and requirements is
a must, as is a tool that helps
professionals meet those
needs that can be used both
at the desk and in the field.
The LW-PX900 meets those
diverse needs with industry
hot keys that simplify the job
of telecom, electrical and
wiring professionals for wire
wraps, patch panels, face plates
and punch blocks plus easy-to-
use software and hundreds of signal words
and hazcom templates.
John Saucier, a senior
FEATURE • K-Sun
W
hether you’re an electrician
working within a facility or out
in the field, tools that help you
save time, stay organized and compliant,
protect safety and prevent future liability
are a must.
“One of the biggest advantages is saving
time in maintenance and repairs throughout
the physical plant,” says Jeff Enloe, an elec-
trician for a mining and metals manufac-
turer with IBEW Local 570 Tucson. “So if
a tool can save time and resources, it’s
worth investing in.”
6 Electrical Products & Solutions • October 2015
That’s precisely why K-Sun and Epson
co-developed the LabelWorks LW-PX900
portable/PC compatible thermal transfer
printer with a lifetime war-
ranty. Smart, field-tested fea-
tures are designed for
compliance, time-savings
and cost-savings across the
workplace.
For an electrician, Enloe
says that labeling is essen-
tial for fast diagnostics and
future maintenance, repair
and operations.
“Not only is proper label-
ing required for compliance,
it’s also a best practice for
maintenance and repairs down
the road. It saves you diag-
nostic time for years to
come,” Enloe says. “If you
have to do a signal trace, it’s
time consuming. Not all
companies have their own
electricians, or if you are
working on an installation
that wasn’t properly labeled or you
don’t have the schematic prints, it can
be frustrating trying to figure out
Next Generation Labeling
The new LW-PX900 label, HST and bar code printer is designed
for time-savings and cost-savings throughout the workplace.
Continued on page 8
With an industry-leading lifetime warranty, the LW-PX900 is designed for electrical professionals
working on-site and in the field.
3. 8 Electrical Products & Solutions • October 2015
project superintendent at Robert Bailey
Electric in Conway, Ark., says his team’s
job is made easier with the right labeling
equipment.
“As a supervisor, it’s my job to make the
job simple so that our electricians can com-
plete it with ease,” said Saucier. “We will
make labels ahead of time for a job site –
for multiple power supplies and additional
warning or voltage tags on electrical panels,
control wiring, wire terminations, supply
sources, disconnect switches, variable fre-
quency drive tags, shrink tube for wire num-
bers and so much more.”
Saucier also uses labeling to make the job
easier for operations professionals. “A man-
ufacturer’s equipment tag tells part of the
story but not all, especially in day-to-day op-
erations,” says Saucier. “For example, in a
rewire of a water treatment plant, the manu-
facturer’s label with the pump model num-
ber doesn’t tell an operator much. So I’ll
make an additional label that identifies it as
‘No. 4 Peak Flow Pump. In the long run la-
beling with clear and accurate information
makes the operators’ jobs easier too.”
The new LW-PX900’s smart features to
save money and time and reduce supply
consumption were developed directly from
the needs of electricians like Enloe and
Saucier. The LW-PX900 includes the intu-
itive and versatile Label Editor Professional
software with data import capabilities and a
FEATURE • K-Sun Continued from page 6
99-file printer memory so that files can be
prepared in the office and then used in the
field.
Saucier says data import capabilities from
K-Sun and the LW-PX900 printer are supe-
rior. “When I make termination drawings,
all the equipment on-site has to be intercon-
nected. I’ll review wiring diagrams and then
decide what wires I will run between them.
I do that on an Excel data sheet, which sim-
plifies the installation and subsequent label-
ing for my installers,” he says. “Essentially
I’ve built the wire termination sheet, and on
that sheet I have my wire labels and how I
want them to look. The ability to import my
data sheet is a real time-saver.”
Other features of the LW-PX900 include
alphanumeric sequencing, auto-repeat,
auto-cut, 13 languages, 15 bar codes (in-
cluding QR), 1,000+ industrial symbol li-
brary and nine industry catalogs with
hundreds of label/sign templates.
Enloe works on high-voltage equipment
throughout the mining and manufacturing
facility, and troubleshoots wiring problems
to and from the SCADA system to the
PLC. “Labeling links the different devices
together, and each wire or conductor has
its own address that you need to label.
When equipment is down, it’s lost produc-
tivity, and the ability to diagnose and re-
pair a wiring or control problem quickly is
essential,” says Enloe.
The LW-PX900’s 360-dpi, high-speed
printing produces highly visible and de-
tailed single, continuous and die-cut ther-
mal transfer labels that are heat, cold and
oil/chemical resistant. “It’s important that
labeling be long-lasting and legible too,”
Enloe says. “Some of the equipment and
wiring I work on was installed years ago.
So the labeling needs to last as long as the
equipment if not longer.”
Other smart features in the LW-PX900
developed for the needs of the user including
Mixed-Length, which allows the user to cre-
ate a strip of variable-length labels with a
half-cut for easy removal and application,
significantly reducing tape consumption.
Installers working in tight spaces can use
the LW-PX900’s optional magnetic feet on
to mount the printer on a metal surface to
free up hands for better productivity. An-
other smart feature developed for field and
plant work include Drop-Stop, which holds
a label after it is cut so it won’t drop out of
the printer. This feature works with a single
label or with the Pick & Print mode for a se-
ries of labels. Pick & Print automatically
pauses after printing and cutting the first la-
bel in a series and resumes printing/cutting
when the label is removed, eliminating the
need to continuously type and print labels.
Saucier also uses his label printer to cre-
ate provisional labels to serve as markers
before ordering embossed steel or engraved
plastic tags for equipment, like conduits. “I
make a label exactly like I want the tag be-
fore I place the order for the tag,” he said.
“If managers and operators see changes
that need to be made, then we can make
them before ordering the final tags. If we
have to be off-site near the end of the job
when the tags arrive, the plant staff can eas-
ily retag with the correct steel or plastic
tags. Supplemental labeling prevents errors
and saves money.”
The LW-PX900 was designed with in-
dustry-leading tape-saving features include
a reduced lead margin of 4mm and ad-
justable left/right margins down to 1mm.
It uses PX Tape, which has more tape per
cartridge and is available in hundreds of
types, sizes and colors, including magnetic,
fluorescent, photoluminescent, heat shrink
tubing and more. A large, clear LCD print
preview also serves to prevent errors.
These features combine to save the user up
to 60 percent in the cost of supplies.
The LW-PX900 is made of industrial
grade, high-impact plastic that meets MIL-
STD 810 “drop” test specifications for the
toughest field conditions. An integral han-
dle offers portability, and front-loading car-
tridges make supply changes fast and easy.
“We make labels to correspond with key
points in the equipment operations manuals
too,” says Saucier. “Supervisors in the plant
like the extra data we provide with labeling
because it helps make training easier for new
operators.” J
With removable magnets for vertical operation,
the LW-PX900 has a host of smart features for
electrical professionals plus hundreds of easy-
to-use industry templates and symbols and
superior data import capabilities.