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Heat shrink tubing printer

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LAN_403

Dr. H.

Thu Jan 15 2015, 02:59PM

Registered Member #931 Joined: Mon Jul 30 2007, 05:25PM
Location: Bulgaria
Posts: 486

Hi guys,

wanted to ask - have someone used such a printer. I am looking for something non professional for personal use. To keep tidy my electronic projects. Any thoughts/models/suggestions are welcome.

Cheers

Mads Barnkob

Fri Jan 16 2015, 11:54AM

Registered Member #1403 Joined: Tue Mar 18 2008, 06:05PM
Location: Denmark, Odense C
Posts: 1968

I have used the DYMO Rhino 5200, its around 300$ in Denmark.

It is okay, but with time it will have problems with the toner band coming out along with the tube if it burns too hard into the tubing. I got no idea if it is just a cleaning problem, but it properly is :)

I have only borrowed it for a few days from a customer, so that's about all I know.

Sulaiman

Fri Jan 16 2015, 12:46PM

Registered Member #162 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3141

the low-tach solution is to use cable markers, e.g.

GrantX

Fri Jan 16 2015, 02:54PM

Registered Member #4074 Joined: Mon Aug 29 2011, 06:58AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 335

Mads Barnkob wrote ...

I have used the DYMO Rhino 5200, its around 300$ in Denmark.

It is okay, but with time it will have problems with the toner band coming out along with the tube if it burns too hard into the tubing. I got no idea if it is just a cleaning problem, but it properly is :)

I have only borrowed it for a few days from a customer, so that's about all I know.

I know someone who owns a Rhino printer and he said it was quite nice to use. But, he's only owned it for a month or two, so I know nothing about long term reliability and build quality.

Dr. H.

Fri Jan 16 2015, 02:59PM

Registered Member #931 Joined: Mon Jul 30 2007, 05:25PM
Location: Bulgaria
Posts: 486

Hi guys

Sulaiman - those look nice but I am looking for something a bit more customizable. I've been looking at this

but the supplies for it are ridiculously expensive.

The Rhino 5200 looks good and it is priced ok. Have to check what the price of the cartridges is.

I was looking for something like a small pc-based printer with a heat shrink that is fed to the printer (on a roll or something) but can't seem to find one on a reasonable price.

Cheers

Sulaiman

Tue Jan 20 2015, 12:19PM

Registered Member #162 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3141

I can't recommend anything
but I can dis-recommend the DYMO label makers that put black ink on a white self-adhesive tape, we have a couple at work;
very nice printing with variable font sizes, the ink rubs off !
and if you try to lacquer them the ink runs.

Hon1nbo

Thu Mar 12 2015, 03:54PM

Registered Member #902 Joined: Sun Jul 15 2007, 08:17PM
Location: Pacific Northwest USA
Posts: 1042

Old thread, but I have the Dymo RHINO series industrial label maker, and I use the heat shrink tapes regularly in my datacenter and other things. It works flawlessly as long as you make sure the tape is secure when loading and you clear any excess gunk out.
The heat shrink tape gets a little pricey, but it is good quality heat shrink. The label maker can also do barcodes and spreadsheets as well (I have server IDs inn a sheet, along with a barcode, so cabling is easy every time I terminate a new cable)

The machine I have (I think it was the highest one, not positive), can be had on amazon for about $250 and there are a couple of smaller variants that should also do heat shrink. Heat shrink tapes will run about $25/ cartridge, with ~15' of tape (not a lot, but realize most wires shouldn't need too much).

Overall the thing is built like a tank, and has loops so it can hang off of your tool belt/ladder/wire rack/cabinet while you work. Also can print QR codes if you generate them on a PC first and upload them.

My only complaint is that the keyboard is an ABC... format rather than QWERTY. This is due to the form factor, and you get used to it, but a pain.

Overall, even if I didn't use it for my small business I would use it for my hobby stuff since it works so freaking well. And while the tapes are a little more pricey than the "consumer" label makers, they are of much higher quality and there are a lot of materials and colors available.

As a future project I am going to try to "reload" a heat shrink tape roll. Doesn't seem like there is any cartridge DRM or circuitry, just mechanics.

Cheers,

-Jim

Ash Small

Thu Mar 12 2015, 07:14PM

Registered Member #3414 Joined: Sun Nov 14 2010, 05:05PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4245

I'd use clear heatshrink tubing and self adhesive paper labels myself, just print them using a printer and cut them up:

Dr. H.

Sat Mar 14 2015, 08:15PM

Registered Member #931 Joined: Mon Jul 30 2007, 05:25PM
Location: Bulgaria
Posts: 486

Hi guys

I actually just got the printer (after almost two months for shipment from the UK.....

it got lost, then found, returned.... sent again ... pff)...

So it is a Tyco t212m. It is not a small carry around printer, but on the plus side the supplies for it are cheap and I can print whatever I want with it.

I got it to work with Open Office so I can print pretty much everything (including pictures and so on). Still having a bit of issues to align the stickers/shrink tube correctly. But I am getting better

Cheers

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