Multicomp Pro® Tie-On Cable Labels: Laser Printable Labels Made by Silver Fox®

Not every cable can take an adhesive label. Cables in live or energised panels cannot be labelled until termination work is complete. Cables in areas of chemical exposure may have jackets that adhesives do not bond to reliably. And in any installation where labels may need to be replaced or updated without disturbing the underlying cable, a tie-on format has a clear practical advantage over a stick-on one.

Multicomp Pro® tie-on cable labels are designed for exactly these situations. Manufactured in Great Britain by Silver Fox® and distributed through Farnell, Newark, and element14 worldwide, these are the same labels Silver Fox® supplies under its own brand - the Multicomp Pro® datasheet explicitly references "Silver Fox® laser tie-on cable labels" in the chemical resistance test documentation. That detail matters: it means the performance data published for the Multicomp Pro® range is drawn from Silver Fox®'s own product qualification programme, not a third-party test on a generic alternative.

The labels are made from a 175-micron polyester film and are designed to be printed on any standard office laser printer. They attach to cables using a standard cable tie through a pre-formed loop at each end of the label, require no adhesive, and can be removed cleanly when needed. The range covers three label sizes in both white and yellow, fitting cable outer diameters from 10 mm upward with no upper limit.

Silver Fox® has been developing own-brand labelling solutions for Farnell, Newark, and element14 for over ten years. The Multicomp Pro® tie-on label range is not a private-label version of a generic product - it is manufactured by Silver Fox® to the same specification as their own-brand tie-on label range, packaged and distributed through Farnell's global network.

Silver Fox® has been designing and manufacturing cable labels in the United Kingdom since 1979. The company is certified to ISO 9001 by NQA, and its products are used across data centres, power generation, rail, defence, and industrial sectors. The tie-on label range is part of the same product portfolio that engineers specify by name for demanding installed environments.

For engineers procuring through Farnell who need confidence in the product behind the Multicomp Pro® brand name, that lineage is the relevant reference point. The labels available through Farnell's catalogue carry the same material specification, the same test data, and the same manufacturing origin as the Silver Fox® own-brand equivalent.

The tie-on labels are made from a 175-micron polyester (PET) film. At 175 microns, the substrate is substantially thicker than a typical self-adhesive label - this gives the label the rigidity needed to maintain its shape when attached to a cable by a tie, and prevents the label from creasing, rolling, or collapsing around the cable in service. Polyester is chosen for its dimensional stability across temperature ranges, its resistance to moisture, and its compatibility with laser toner fusing.

The label format is a flat flag with a pre-formed loop structure at each end, designed to accept a standard cable tie. There is no adhesive layer. The label is attached by threading a cable tie through the loops at both ends and securing it around the cable. This means the label can be removed and replaced without leaving adhesive residue on the cable jacket - an important consideration in installations where cables may be re-identified over their service life.

Both white and yellow variants are available within each size. Yellow is the conventional colour for identification labels in electrical environments where colour coding is used to distinguish circuit types, phases, or service classifications, and having yellow tie-on labels in the same size and format as white ones allows a consistent labelling system across both functions.

The test programme for the Multicomp Pro® tie-on labels covers both environmental durability and chemical resistance. The environmental tests follow established military and international standards and are applicable to the indoor and protected outdoor environments where tie-on labels are most commonly used - the product documentation notes that labels are "generally for internal use such as control rooms, power stations, substations" and that limited external applications away from direct sunlight may also be appropriate.

The environmental test summary is as follows: moisture resistance to MIL-STD-202G Method 106G; low temperature to MIL-STD-810F Method 502.4 (72 hours at -40°C); elevated temperature to MIL-STD-202G Method 108A (500 hours at 70°C); H2S sour gas exposure (2% H2S atmosphere); UV weathering to ISO 4982 Part 3 Method A Cycle 1 (500 hours); and cyclic salt mist to IEC 60068-2-52 Test Kb.

Chemical and solvent resistance

The chemical resistance data is particularly detailed - 18 substances were tested, with results recorded both before and after mechanical rubbing to simulate real-world handling and exposure. The testing was conducted on printed labels conditioned for 24 hours at room temperature, with samples subjected to five cycles of 10-minute immersion followed by a 30-minute recovery period before rubbing with a cotton swab soaked in the test fluid.

The results below are drawn directly from the Silver Fox® laser tie-on cable label test documentation published in the Multicomp Pro® datasheet.

The practical implication of the chemical resistance data is straightforward: for installations in substations, control rooms, and power stations - where diesel, machine oils, salt solutions, and dilute acids are the most likely contaminants - the print on these labels is robust. For installations where solvents such as MEK, toluene, or alcohol-based cleaning agents are regularly used in proximity to cables, contact Silver Fox® to discuss thermal transfer label solutions with enhanced chemical resistance that are suited to those environments.

Three label sizes are available across the Multicomp Pro® tie-on range, with each size offered in both white and yellow. All sizes fit cable outer diameters from 10 mm upward with no stated upper limit - the cable tie loop format means the label wraps around any cable diameter, unlike adhesive wrap-around labels which are sized to specific OD ranges.

The key selection variable is therefore not cable diameter but printable area: how much text, how large the characters need to be to be legible at the installed viewing distance, and whether the label will carry a barcode or QR code in addition to alphanumeric identification.

Printing

Load the correct A4 sheet into a standard office laser printer. The Multicomp Pro® cable labelling software handles all layout and formatting automatically when you select the appropriate tie-on label type - no custom page setup or margin adjustment is needed in the printer driver. The free Lite download supports copy-and-paste from spreadsheets, sequential numbering, and automatic Size to Fit text scaling. The Advanced and Professional tiers add CSV import, native spreadsheet import, and barcode or QR code generation for projects where machine-readable codes are required alongside the alphanumeric label content.

Allow the printed sheet to cool briefly before separating labels, as the laser fusing process generates heat that can cause sheets to curl if handled immediately. Labels are pre-cut and separate cleanly along the perforation lines by folding backwards and forwards as indicated in the product documentation - no scissors or cutting tools are needed.

Attaching to the cable

Thread a standard cable tie through the loop at each end of the label. Pass the cable tie around the cable, insert the tail through the locking head, and tension to hold the label securely without distorting the printable area. The label should sit flat against the cable surface with the printed text oriented for reading from the expected viewing angle - facing down a cable run or outward from a bundle, depending on the installation layout.

Because tie-on labels do not use adhesive, they can be positioned anywhere along a cable without concern for surface preparation or jacket compatibility. They are also straightforward to replace during maintenance without disturbing the cable or any adjacent labelling - simply cut the cable tie, remove the old label, and re-attach a new one.

What is the difference between tie-on and wrap-around cable labels?

Wrap-around labels are self-adhesive: they bond directly to the cable jacket and are intended to be permanent. Tie-on labels attach using a cable tie and have no adhesive layer, so they can be removed and replaced without residue. Tie-on labels also cover any cable outer diameter from 10 mm upward without needing to be size-matched to the cable OD, whereas wrap-around labels must be selected for a specific diameter range. The choice between the two formats comes down to installation requirements - whether a permanent adhesive bond is acceptable or whether removability is needed.

Can I use these labels on energised or live cables?

Tie-on labels can be applied after cable installation and termination, unlike adhesive labels which ideally need to go on before the cable is routed. However, working on or near live equipment always requires compliance with the relevant safe systems of work and isolation procedures under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. The labels themselves are non-conductive polyester and do not introduce an electrical hazard, but the method of attachment (using a cable tie) must be carried out in accordance with the applicable permit to work for the installation.

Are tie-on labels suitable for outdoor use?

The product documentation states that these labels are primarily intended for internal use in locations such as control rooms, power stations, and substations. Limited external applications away from direct sunlight are noted as potentially suitable. For cables that are fully exposed to outdoor conditions including direct UV exposure, Silver Fox® produces UV-rated own-brand tie-on labels tested specifically for that environment using a different substrate and print process designed for outdoor long-term exposure. Contact the Silver Fox® team to discuss the appropriate product for fully exposed outdoor applications.

Why are some chemicals listed as causing complete print removal?

The print on these labels is applied by a standard laser printer using toner fused to the polyester surface. Strong solvents - including MEK, toluene, petrol, and alcohol-based fluids - can attack laser toner and cause it to lift from the substrate, particularly under rubbing. This is a characteristic of laser-printed labels in general, not specific to this product. For installations where MEK or similar solvents are regularly used in proximity to cables, a thermal transfer printed label using a resin ribbon provides significantly better chemical resistance because the ribbon pigment is bonded differently to the substrate.

Where are Multicomp Pro® tie-on labels manufactured?

The labels are manufactured in Great Britain by Silver Fox®, established in 1979 and ISO 9001 certified (NQA, UKAS accredited, certificate number 91517). The Multicomp Pro® tie-on range is manufactured by Silver Fox® to the same specification as their own-brand tie-on label range - this is confirmed in the Multicomp Pro® product datasheet, which references "Silver Fox® laser tie-on cable labels" in the chemical resistance test methodology.

Can I print barcodes or QR codes on these labels?

Yes, using the Multicomp Pro® Professional software tier. Barcode and QR code generation is supported, and the 90 x 25 mm label size provides sufficient space to include both a machine-readable code and alphanumeric cable reference text on the same label. The Advanced tier also supports variable quantity printing, allowing labels at both ends of the same cable to be generated in a single print job from a cable schedule import.