Leadtech Printer-Leading Manufacturer in the Coding & Marking Industry since 2011.
Marking Cable In-Line at Full Extrusion Speed
Cable & Wire Coding & Marking
Substrates: PVC · XLPE · LSZH · Automotive Wire · Fiber & Communication Cable
√ Rechnology: Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) · CO₂ Laser
√ Recommended LT Model: LT910 · LT960 Pigment · LT60C CO₂ Laser
√ The One Constraint: XLPE and LSZH jackets take ink differently from PVC — validate the material before deployment, or the code wipes off.
Cable and wire marking supports regulatory compliance, installation management, and lifecycle traceability across power, communication, automotive, and industrial applications. CIJ is the standard technology for continuous, high-speed in-line marking on extrusion lines. Two requirements are non-negotiable: meter marking must be continuous and accurate at defined intervals, or downstream cutting and installation go wrong; and the code must survive coiling, laying, friction, and outdoor weathering for the cable's whole service life.
| Substrate | Key Property | Coding Implication |
| PVC | Standard cable jacket; laser response varies by formulation | CIJ at extrusion speed; CO₂ laser for ink-free permanence; hot embossing still used for PVC color lines |
| XLPE | Cross-linked polyethylene jacket; different ink adhesion vs PVC | Material testing required before deployment |
| LSZH | Low Smoke Zero Halogen jacket; different ink adhesion vs PVC | Material testing required before deployment |
| Automotive Wire | Color-coded with alphanumeric conductor abbreviations | Content varies by national/OEM standard; small character height at speed |
| Fiber / Communication Cable | Continuous extrusion | Continuous identification + meter marking |
Coding Challenges
- Different jacket chemistries (PVC vs XLPE vs LSZH) → ink adhesion differs by material → an ink validated on PVC beads or wipes off XLPE/LSZH. Validate ink and parameters per jacket before deployment.
- A chilled bottle leaves the filler → a condensation film forms → dye ink beads and the code fails to read. Use a penetrating CIJ ink, or laser, which Cable is coiled, laid, dragged, and weathered over its life → friction and UV abrade the code → field identification becomes unreadable. Durable ink or ink-free laser is required.
- Meter marking must be continuous at defined intervals → any counter drift or gap → cutting and installation errors downstream. Accurate, uninterrupted metering is required.
- The extrusion line runs continuously at high speed → any marking interruption → a length of unmarked cable that must be scrapped. Uninterrupted 24/7 marking is required.
| Technology | Fit | Why / Why Not |
| Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) | ★ Recommended | Codes running cable at extrusion speed; accommodates different jackets and speeds; handles meter marking, conductor spec, batch number |
| CO₂ Laser | ★ Recommended | Ink-free permanent mark on PVC; no consumables; survives weathering — choose when durability outranks color/variable data |
| Hot Embossing / Hot Branding | ○ Alternative | Mechanical/heat color marking is still widely used for continuous PVC color lines |
| Pigment Ink Coding | - Not recommended | High-contrast white/color pigment ink on dark jackets where dye ink lacks contrast |
| PIJ / TTO | - Not recommended | TTO is a flexible-film ribbon technology and PIJ a large-character board technology; neither suits a continuous round jacket at extrusion speed |
Lead with CIJ: it keeps up with extrusion speed and prints conductor spec, meter mark, and batch number continuously on a moving jacket. Reach for CO₂ laser when you want an ink-free, weather-resistant permanent mark. On dark jackets, pigment ink restores contrast. Do not use TTO or PIJ on cable — one is for flexible film, the other for board. Whenever the jacket changes to XLPE or LSZH, validate the material before deployment.
Typical Code Content
Applications
Recommended LT Solution
FAQ
