Custom Traffolyte Labels for Broadcast Cabling

Modern sports venue broadcast installations are far more complex than a few camera cables taped to a wall. A typical Premier League stadium contains over 300 permanently installed cables, including triaxial camera cables, SMPTE fibre optic hybrids, audio multicores, and data lines. These cables run from the outside broadcast truck compound to fixed positions throughout the venue: pitchside camera locations, gantry positions, TV studios, interview booths, and commentary areas.

At each connection point, a panel identifies the available ports and connector types. These panels must be precisely cut with the correct connector cutouts, clearly labelled with port identifiers, and durable enough to withstand years of repeated plugging and unplugging in environments that range from heated indoor studios to exposed outdoor positions subject to rain, mud, and foot traffic.

Standard adhesive labels are not suitable for this application. The panels need to accommodate precision-cut openings for different connector formats, and the identification must remain permanently legible. This is where engraved traffolyte labels excel: the text is physically cut into layered laminate material, revealing a contrasting colour beneath, so the marking cannot fade, smudge, or peel away.

TTL Video is the UK's foremost installer of permanent broadcast cabling infrastructure at sports venues. Founded in 1987, the company has equipped over 45 stadiums with permanent broadcast installations, including 19 of the 20 current Premier League grounds. Their work covers everything from initial system design and route planning through to cable installation, fibre optic termination, and ongoing maintenance.

Stefan Bewsey, TTL Video's Technical and Logistical Support Supervisor, explains the scale of the labelling challenge: "Most of our panels are custom-made, and it's important for us to get these made quickly so that we can do our job. The nature of this work is that installations change day by day, and we have different requirements from different broadcasters. We need a supplier who can adapt with the project."

Around each football ground, there are approximately 50 camera positions. These positions support audio, fibre, data, and triaxial camera connections, meaning there are potentially six or seven different connector cutouts that need to be manufactured for each panel. The camera enclosure panels use custom traffolyte labels to identify each connection, helping broadcast engineers from multiple rights holders connect their equipment quickly and accurately on match days.

Silver Fox® supplies TTL Video with bespoke Endurance® Engraved Traffolyte panels for their broadcast installations. Each panel is manufactured to TTL Video's exact specifications at Silver Fox's facility in Hertfordshire, with custom text, graphics, and connector cutouts produced to precise tolerances.

Traffolyte is a high-pressure phenolic laminate consisting of multiple coloured layers. When mechanically engraved, the cutting tool removes the top layer to reveal a contrasting colour beneath. This means the identification is integral to the material itself, not printed or stuck on, making it exceptionally resistant to abrasion, chemicals, moisture, and UV exposure.

Silver Fox® CEO Nick Michaelson noted: "TTL Video installs and terminates a wide range of copper and fibre optic cable types, including Category 5E, 6, 6A and single and multimode fibre. We supply a complete range of standard and customised label solutions suitable for any labelling need, from laser engraved labels and stainless steel labels to traffolyte panels and metal engraved tags."

Broadcast infrastructure projects operate on compressed timescales. Premier League clubs typically have a 10 to 12-week off-season window for major installations and upgrades. During this period, TTL Video may be working across multiple stadiums simultaneously, each with its own design requirements and broadcaster specifications.

When specifications change mid-project, which is common as different broadcasters request additional or modified connection points, the labelling supplier needs to respond rapidly. Stefan Bewsey highlights this as one of the key benefits of working with Silver Fox®: "Silver Fox is able to change its label designs and wording quickly, and that makes things a lot easier for us, helping us to do the job we need to do: to bring each game to the viewers."

Because Silver Fox® manufactures engraved labels in-house at their UK facility, there is no outsourcing delay. Design files can be updated, new panels produced, and deliveries dispatched within short lead times. This responsiveness is essential when installation crews are on-site and waiting for materials to continue their work.

While custom engraved panels solve the identification challenge at connection points, a broadcast venue installation also requires hundreds of individual cable labels along cable routes. Each of the 300+ cables running through a stadium needs clear identification at both ends and at regular intervals, following structured cabling best practices.

For cable identification alongside engraved panels, Silver Fox® offers a full range of complementary labelling solutions. Fox-Flo® UV-stable, LSZH tie-on cable labels are well suited to broadcast environments where cables may run through public areas or enclosed spaces, meeting low smoke zero halogen requirements. For fibre optic cables, Prolab® Laser Fibre Optic Flag Labels provide precise identification on individual fibres.

The Fox-in-a-Box® thermal printing system enables installation teams to print cable labels on-site using Labacus Innovator® software, with one printer, one software, and one ribbon handling the full range of label types. This combination of factory-produced engraved panels and on-site cable printing gives teams like TTL Video a single-source labelling solution for the entire project.

What are traffolyte labels?

Traffolyte labels are made from high-pressure phenolic laminate consisting of multiple coloured layers. Mechanical engraving cuts through the top layer to reveal a contrasting colour beneath, creating permanent, high-visibility identification. They are widely used for electrical panels, asset tagging, and infrastructure labelling in environments that demand long-term durability.

Why use engraved labels instead of printed labels for broadcast panels?

Engraved labels provide permanent identification that cannot fade, peel, or smudge over time. In broadcast environments where panels are handled repeatedly by different engineering teams across multiple seasons, this permanence is essential. The physical engraving also allows precision cutouts for connectors to be integrated into the panel itself.

How quickly can custom engraved traffolyte panels be produced?

Silver Fox® manufactures engraved labels and custom panels in-house at their UK facility, enabling short lead times. Exact turnaround depends on order complexity, but the company is set up to respond rapidly to design changes and urgent requirements. Contact sales@silverfox.co.uk for project-specific timescales.

Can Silver Fox® produce custom engraved panels with connector cutouts?

Yes. Silver Fox® produces bespoke engraved traffolyte panels to customer specifications, including custom shapes, sizes, screw-hole positions, and precision-machined connector cutouts. This is the service TTL Video uses for their broadcast camera enclosure panels across Premier League stadiums.

What other engraved label materials does Silver Fox® offer?

In addition to traffolyte, Silver Fox® offers engraved labels in acrylic (suitable for indoor and outdoor use), stainless steel (for harsh environments including oil and gas), and metal tags (brass and stainless steel valve tags). Visit the Engraved Labels Guide for a full overview of materials and techniques.