Big cost and time savings in portable appliance (PAT) testing are offered by the new low–cost Bar code label printer which Megger has introduced for use with its popular PAT4 Mk3 testers. Not only is the printer itself very competitively priced, the labels it produces cost less than 3p each – less than one–sixth of the cost of labels produced by some other PAT testing systems.

The printer automatically generates bar code labels using data supplied by the PAT tester, eliminating the time–consuming and error–prone process of transferring the data by hand to write–on labels.

The printed labels include equipment identity information, comprising up to 10 alpha–numeric characters in the form of a type 39 barcode and printed PASS or FAIL with tested date and retest dates. This means that, when repeat tests are carried out, it is only necessary to scan the label to capture the identity of each item of equipment as it is tested. Manual data entry during repeat testing is, therefore, virtually eliminated, leading to even more time and cost savings.

The printer is compact, and is easily carried in the standard case which is supplied with PAT4 Mk3 testers. It incorporates a rechargeable battery which, when fully charged, provides eight hours of label printing under typical operating conditions. The battery pack is removable, making it possible to carry a spare if long periods of use away from a mains supply are anticipated.

Megger supplies labels for the new printer in packs of four rolls, each roll having 300 printable labels. Standard labels are high–quality paper, with a self–adhesive backing, and are suitable for most indoor applications. For applications where more durable labels are needed, Megger offers protective plastic label covers in packs of 1,200.