Automated UV inkjet printing with the Bluemark E.Card
Industrial identification plays a key role in keeping modern systems running reliably. However, rising technical demands and structural constraints challenge control‑cabinet and machine builders. In response, Phoenix Contact’s new Bluemark E.Card UV inkjet printer shows how marking processes can be simplified and accelerated, improving overall efficiency.
In control cabinet and machine building, system functionality and availability are the priority. Consistent identification of installed components is essential but often overlooked. Clear, durable labeling improves orientation and streamlines workflows throughout a switchgear system’s lifecycle. Standards such as EN IEC 81346 define uniform reference designations for systems, devices, and functions, regardless of manufacturer.
Consistent identification of all components, devices, and circuits supports quality assurance, speeds commissioning, and enables quick responses during service or maintenance. As a result, industrial identification is crucial for the reliable operation and availability of modern systems.
Increasing demands on identification processes
Control cabinet and machine builders face growing challenges. With increasing system diversity and complexity, the technical demands on industrial identification are high. Applications range from protected control cabinets to machines where markings must withstand chemical and mechanical stress. This requires versatile solutions that deliver clear, high‑quality, and durable markings.
Control cabinet and machine builders also face structural challenges. A Germany‑wide study by Phoenix Contact and Ruhr University Bochum shows rising efficiency pressure across the industry. 88% of surveyed companies cite a shortage of skilled workers, and 62% report recurring capacity bottlenecks. Time‑consuming manual tasks, such as printing and processing marking materials, tie up qualified staff and worsen the situation. The industry’s project‑driven nature adds complexity, with 73% of sales coming from project business, leading to high product variety and demanding flexible production processes. Media discontinuities further slow workflows: despite digitalization, 88% of companies still receive planning data as PDFs and rely on paper documents, highlighting the need for more integrated processes industrial efficiency challenges.
To achieve consistent industrial identification, control cabinet and machine builders must do more than meet technical requirements. They need to simplify marking processes, reduce manual work, and better integrate digital workflows. Phoenix Contact addresses this with the new Bluemark E.Card UV inkjet printer, which sets new standards in efficiency and print quality for industrial identification.
Automated material processing meets innovative printing technology
High print volumes and diverse materials quickly overwhelm conventional card printers, especially when cards must be inserted and removed manually, an approach that is slow and error‑prone. The UV inkjet printer solves this with automated card transport: it feeds stacked materials into printing, then restacks them afterward, even detecting unsorted cards and marking them correctly. This automation saves time, up to 40% compared to manual processing, and boosts overall efficiency automated printing.
Maintenance for cleaning or replacing fixed inkjet printheads is common and often causes downtime and reduced print quality. The Bluemark E.Card avoids this by using thermal inkjet technology, where the printhead is integrated into the ink cartridge. This ensures consistently high print quality and minimizes maintenance through regular cartridge replacement thermal inkjet technology.
Versatile identification solutions for industrial requirements
By combining thermal inkjet technology with UV‑LED‑curable inks, Phoenix Contact’s new card printer delivers high‑quality markings for all applications. The Bluemark E.Card automatically detects inserted materials and applies optimized print parameters for each one. Its modular ink system produces sharp text on polycarbonate, polyamide, and metal cards.
Thanks to intensive UV curing, the markings are wipe‑proof, scratch‑resistant, and chemical‑resistant, meeting the demands of durable identification in control cabinet and machine building industrial identification.
Consistent use of digital marking data
Efficient industrial identification requires consistent marking data and digitally integrated printing systems. Phoenix Contact’s marking software supports large projects and controls printers like the Bluemark E.Card, offering application‑focused functions and interfaces to ECAD tools and common data formats. With the Universal Data Interface, marking data can be used consistently without complex direct integrations. Information from digital circuit diagrams is easily imported for fast creation of marking solutions. Print projects are planned and monitored via the printer’s bidirectional OPC UA interface, while the Bluemark E.Card displays all key device and print status information.
Using digital data throughout the process reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and enables flexible marking, especially in project‑driven control cabinet building digital marking processes.
Learn more about BLUEMARK E.CARD.
