Equipment Labels for Control Panels and Faceplates

A faceplate label in a control room or substation needs to do several things at once: it must be legible under varied lighting, hold firm on a metal or plastic surface for years, tolerate the cleaning solvents used during routine maintenance, and resist moisture if the environment demands it. Get any of those wrong, and identification starts to fail - which creates real risk in safety-critical installations.

Ordinary office laser labels are not engineered for these conditions. They are designed for paper and card, not for powder-coated steel panels or polycarbonate faceplates. When the wrong material is used, labels yellow under UV exposure, peel back at the corners, or accept the print poorly - leaving faded, unreliable identification that creates more problems than it solves.

The Multicomp Pro® equipment label range, manufactured by Silver Fox® and distributed through Farnell, Newark, and Element14, addresses this gap with a laser-printable polyester material tested to industrial standards. This guide covers what makes these labels suitable for demanding equipment identification tasks, which environments they are designed for, and how to select the right size and print your own labels to a professional finish.

Silver Fox® has been manufacturing identification products for industrial applications since 1979. The Multicomp Pro® equipment label range is part of a wider white-label manufacturing relationship with Farnell - one of the UK's leading electronics and industrial components distributors - that also covers cable and wire labels and label design software.

The equipment labels are produced on durable white polyester film with a specialist laser print receptive surface applied during manufacture. This surface is engineered to accept standard laser printer toner cleanly and permanently, producing crisp, high-contrast text, symbols, and barcodes that remain legible over the product's service life. The polyester base gives the labels dimensional stability - they will not stretch, shrink, or distort - and resistance to moisture, oils, and many common cleaning agents.

Adhesion uses a pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive. Acrylic adhesives are chosen for equipment labelling because they develop strong, long-term bonds on both metal and plastic substrates, resist temperature cycling, and do not fail gradually in the way that rubber-based adhesives can over time. For best results, the application surface should be smooth, clean, and dry before the label is applied.

The complete Multicomp Pro® range, including equipment labels and Multicomp Pro® labelling software, is available from Farnell under the Multicomp Pro® brand.

Specifying an equipment label on material credentials alone is insufficient. Labels need to survive the conditions of their installed environment - not just the moment of application. The Multicomp Pro® equipment labels have been tested to the following methods to validate real-world performance:

These test conditions cover the majority of industrial indoor environments - control rooms, power stations, substations, and process plant - where equipment labels are most commonly required. For applications in direct outdoor UV exposure or immersion-risk environments, speak to Silver Fox® directly about the most appropriate labelling solution for the specific conditions.

Polyester laser equipment labels are a practical choice wherever printed identification needs to be applied directly to equipment surfaces rather than to cables or pipes. The most common applications fall into three broad areas.

Control panels and switchgear

Labels applied to the face of control panels identify switches, pushbuttons, indicators, and isolators. In installations where engraved traffolyte legend plates are not specified - or where a fast, flexible, on-demand labelling solution is required - laser-printed polyester labels offer a clean, professional finish. Sizes from 48 x 9 mm work well for single-line switch legends, while wider formats suit combined function labels covering multiple controls.

Faceplates and outlets

Data centre faceplates, network wall outlets, patch panels, and audio-visual connection points all benefit from clear printed labels identifying port function, circuit number, or destination. Compact sizes such as 20 x 8 mm and 22 x 7 mm are well suited to the tight spacing found on standard faceplate formats. The pre-perforated sheet format makes dispensing individual labels fast during installation.

General equipment identification in substations, power stations, and process plant

In higher-voltage installations and process environments, equipment labelling forms part of the broader asset identification system. Labels identifying individual items of plant - transformers, circuit breakers, metering equipment, junction boxes - need to remain legible for extended periods in environments that can include temperature cycling, oil mist, and atmospheric contamination. The H2S and salt mist testing makes the Multicomp Pro® range appropriate for many of these applications, particularly in indoor or sheltered locations.

For assets requiring heavier-duty identification - valve tags, raised profile labels, or labels that must survive immersion or abrasion - contact Silver Fox® directly to discuss the appropriate material options for more severe conditions.

The Multicomp Pro® equipment label range covers seven standard formats on A4 sheets, with labels pre-perforated for rapid removal. Selecting the correct format starts with measuring the available space on the target surface and accounting for the text or barcode content that needs to fit.

When planning a labelling project, it is worth considering not just the immediate application but also future re-labelling needs. Standardising on one or two label sizes across a facility reduces stock complexity and simplifies the reprinting process when equipment is modified or re-assigned.

One of the practical advantages of the Multicomp Pro® range is the availability of dedicated label design software that is pre-configured with the correct label dimensions for each format in the range. The Multicomp Pro® labelling software, developed by Silver Fox®, is available as a free download in its Lite tier - with Advanced and Professional tiers for teams requiring additional capability.

The software handles page layout automatically, so engineers do not need to build custom templates or manually adjust margins for each label size. Text, symbols, barcodes, and QR codes can be added directly through the interface and sent to any standard office laser printer. The Professional tier adds full spreadsheet import for batch label production - a significant time saving on larger projects where labels must be generated from wire lists or asset registers.

All three tiers are supported directly by Silver Fox®, with lifetime free support available to every registered user. For teams evaluating the software ahead of purchase, the Lite tier is free with no time limit, covering the full label range with standard template layouts.

Are polyester equipment labels suitable for outdoor use?

The Multicomp Pro® equipment labels are designed primarily for indoor or sheltered applications - control rooms, power stations, substations, and process plant enclosures. UV weathering testing to ISO 4982 Part 3 (3,000 hours) indicates the material can cope with incidental UV exposure in control boxes and similar environments. For sustained direct outdoor UV exposure, contact Silver Fox® to discuss the most appropriate material for the specific installation.

What surface preparation is needed before applying equipment labels?

The acrylic adhesive requires a smooth, clean, and dry surface for reliable long-term bonding. Remove any grease, dust, or residue from the application area before applying the label. Avoid applying labels to freshly painted surfaces - allow paint to fully cure first. Temperature at the time of application should ideally be above 10°C to allow the adhesive to seat properly.

Can I use any laser printer for the Multicomp Pro® labels?

The labels are designed for standard laser printers. The Multicomp Pro® labelling software automatically selects the correct paper size (A4) and label layout, so any standard office or workgroup laser printer will produce good results. Check that your printer's paper path can handle sheet labels - most A4 laser printers handle label stock without difficulty, but avoid printers with tight-radius paper paths that can cause the label stock to stress at the perforations.

How do Multicomp Pro® equipment labels differ from standard office laser labels?

The key differences are the base material and the adhesive formulation. Standard office laser labels use a paper facestock designed for everyday document labelling. Multicomp Pro® equipment labels use a polyester film that resists moisture, oils, and temperature cycling that would cause paper labels to fail. The acrylic adhesive is also specifically formulated for long-term bonding on metal and plastic substrates rather than paper and cardboard surfaces.

Where can I buy Multicomp Pro® equipment labels?

The range is stocked by Farnell and its affiliated distributors Newark and Element14. Browse the full Multicomp Pro® labels listing on Farnell to select the format that suits your project.