Highly visible, colour coded
network infrastructure labelling

Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) protects uptime by increasing network maintenance speed with a quality infrastructure identified with reliable, colour coded labels.

Challenge: Colour code 3 data centre services

Dark Fibre Africa needed to differentiate between the infrastructure of three of their major service offerings. The data centre company decided on 3 label colours:

• Black on white: GPON services
• Black on yellow: Dark fibre and all managed services
• White on red: DFA core network infrastructure

Labels sourced to enable the colour code could not maintain the colour code because the print faded over time and the adhesion proved insufficient. Time was lost on re-applying labels that did not offer any advantage when needed.

Solution: Reliable labels and printers

Dark Fibre Africa decided on reliable cable labels that stay attached, printed with specialised inks available from Brady’s Mobile Printers.

• A custom label cartridge

Brady could instantly supply reliable and laboratory-tested black on white and black on yellow identification with standard labels available for its entire Mobile Printer series.

In addition, Brady fast-tracked a custom label development. Within a few months, a reliable label in red became available that could receive a white print, perfectly legible on curved cable surfaces.

Before presenting a sample to our customer, Brady R&D specialists submitted the label to extensive testing. Results indicated great adhesive power when attached to cables, equipment cabinets and distribution boards.

The label also remained legible in hot and air-cooled environments. The new label material was successfully adapted to BradyPrinter M210 and M510 label cartridges. This enables DFA to print the new white on red labels anywhere the company needs them.

• Portable printing power

With Brady’s M210 and M510 Mobile Printers, DFA controls top of the line label printing capabilities. The printers’ Smart Cell Technology provides automatic label setup and formatting for wire wraps, terminal blocks, patch panels, cable flags and general labels and instantly adjusts printer settings whenever a new material is loaded.

Complete with protective rubber bumpers, drop-in cartridges and an ergonomic label cutter that holds the label after cutting, the M210 and M510 provide the premium label printing experience DFA was looking for.

Result: Fast infrastructure identification

Reliable labels that remain legible and stay attached to cables, equipment cabinets and distribution boards are important to support fast and efficient moves, adds and changes. Clear identification enables technicians to quickly identify data centre infrastructure for fault finding and troubleshooting, increasing maintenance speed, deployment speed and ultimately data centre uptime.