REF: PAR007 |
 |
Stainless-steel makes its mark
A tough working environment is par for the course in process plant applications, and even the smallest of the components used need to be carefully chosen. That’s why, for cable and component identification, stainless-steel markers are often the best option.
In most ordinary applications, standard plastic cable and component markers do a great job. But many applications in the process industry are far from ordinary.
Corrosive vapours and gases, aggressive cleaning agents, powerful solvents and very high or very low temperatures are a few of the hazards that markers are called upon. And, at the end of their ordeal, the markers are expected to remain intact and easily legible.
In these demanding applications, there’s no doubt that stainless-steel markers will outperform their plastic counterparts every time. But that doesn’t mean that every stainless marker will be equal to the challenge.
Markers where the legend is engraved, laser engraved or etched, appear to be perfectly satisfactory when they are first installed. A few months later, and the legends are likely to be clogged with dust and dirt, making them hard to read. In food and pharmaceutical applications, there’s another aspect to this problem – the engraved or etched legends can act as a trap for contaminants.
A better approach is to use markers where the legend is embossed, such as those in the Partex PKS range. These are far less likely to act as dirt traps, the concave part of the legend is at the back of the marker, and they remain easy to read even in the presence of a substantial build up. They can even be painted and still be perfectly legible.
Despite the clear benefits offered by stainless-steel markers, potential users are sometimes concerned that they will be harder to work with and take longer to install than conventional markers. In fact, the differences are small, and can be made even smaller by choosing the right product.
For large project, customised multi-character markers are an excellent option. These are delivered with the complete legend already embossed and ready for immediate installation. Unlike most other suppliers, Partex can offer customised stainless-steel markers with two rows of characters, allowing even long legends to be accommodated on a single marker.
For smaller projects or when carrying out modifications on site, single-character markers with carrier strips combine ease and speed of use with the flexibility to compose almost any legend on the spot.
The Partex range not only includes stainless ties in a wide range of sizes, with a choice of roller-ball and ladder versions, but also tools which tension the ties and automatically cut off the tail when the correct tension has been reached.
For further information:
Matt Symonds, Partex Marking Systems
61-64 Station Road, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 1JT
T: 01675 463670
Email: matt@partex.co.uk
Web: www.partex.co.uk
Press enquires:
Amanda Price, Fresh Public Relations Ltd
12 Church Street, Kidderminster, DY10 2AA
Tel: +44 (0) 7875 029458
Fax: +44 (0) 1562 844202
Email: amanda@freshpublicrelations.co.uk