Don’t Get Tangled Up in Wires

Spring is in the air, which means it’s time for some spring cleaning. It’s the time of year when you need to look around your shop and determine what can be cleaned or organized.

It’s best to focus on one kind of product or one area at a time. This way, the entire shop won’t be out of commission as you work on it.

Look at the electrical wiring in your shop or on your equipment, for example. Are they labeled and secured? If not, your shop can benefit from some simple wire management.

Managing wires in a shop is easy, and it’s a great first step to take if you want to do some spring cleaning or organizing. Even though it may seem like a small task, it can have a huge impact on a shop.

Proper Management

Believe it or not, unsecured wiring or cables can end up costing you money. They can come into contact with sharp surfaces, edges or moving parts that will damage the wire, which can lead to failures. This means you’ll have to spend more money on more wire while also spending time trying to fix the problem.

Properly securing wires prevents unnecessary downtime, too. Even if all wires are labeled, it can be hard to track down the exact wire you need if the wiring is a mess or not neatly contained. Instead of spending your time on the job at hand, you end up wasting time trying to untangle or find the exact wires you need.

Cable Clamps are ideal for securing heavier or larger wire bundles, even in tough environments. These heavy-duty clamps are made of metal and covered with cushioning neoprene or plastisol insulation to prevent damage to the wiring.

Hook and loop cable ties are perfect for wrapping around wire bundles to properly secure them. They can secure multiple wires or bundles together. Not only are they reusable, but they also come in multiple color options so you can color code bundles or wiring.

Cable Tie Mounting Bases are a good choice if you need to secure wires to different surfaces. They have an adhesive backing that mounts to just about anything and secures wiring bundles using cable ties. These are handy because you can remove a cable tie and insert a new one without removing the base.

Wire Identification

Wires that are not properly labeled can lead to many headaches. If you are spending time trying to identify which wire is which, you are wasting time you could spend doing other work.

Misidentified wires can also be detrimental to you or your business. If the wrong wire is cut, it can cause equipment failures, or if the wire has high voltage, it could cause injury to the user.

Clip-On Wire Markers make wire identification a breeze. They are color coded and quickly clip onto wires for temporary or permanent identification. To use, just squeeze the clip, put it on the wire, and it grabs on to the insulation. These markers can be removed just as easily as they can be put on, so they are the perfect solution for temporary identification.

The ScotchCode™ wire marker tape system is another great solution for identification. It is available in both numbers and colors for easy wire labeling and identification. These dispensers neatly hold 10 rolls of tape, so you can quickly remove the number or color you need and apply it to the wire with ease. Not only do these systems easily dispense tape, but they conveniently hold and organize it as well, so you don’t have to deal with loose rolls.

Don’t let your shop get tangled up with wires. With proper management and identification, it’s easy to get your wires under control. You’ll also be one step closer to a clean, organized shop. If you don’t know where to start, a Kimball Midwest sales representative can help. If you don’t already have a representative, we can help you