Glossary

Electrical Labels & Engraving Glossary

Name: RBZ 3D
Address: Townsville, QLD, 4810, AU
Telephone: +61432736559
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Plain-English definitions for the terms, standards, and materials that come up in Australian switchboard labelling, engraving, and on-demand manufacturing.

Australian Standards

AS/NZS 3000: The Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules. The primary standard covering the design, installation, and verification of electrical installations. Clause 2.8 sets out switchboard labelling requirements. Commonly referenced as 'the Wiring Rules'.
AS/NZS 3008: The Australian/New Zealand standard for cable selection. Covers cable sizing, current-carrying capacity, voltage drop, and installation conditions.
AS/NZS 3760: In-service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment. Defines test and tag intervals, RCD test frequencies by environment, and the requirements for test tags.
AS 1319: Safety signs for the occupational environment. Defines the colour, shape, and format conventions for danger, warning, caution, and information signs — including the colour coding used on electrical warning labels.
AS/NZS 4836: Safe working on low-voltage electrical installations and equipment. Covers live work procedures, risk assessment, and PPE requirements — commonly referenced for arc flash hazard management in Australia.
AS/NZS 4777: Grid connection of energy systems via inverters. Referenced for solar PV and battery system labelling requirements.

Label Materials & Methods

Traffolyte: The Australian common name for engraved plastic laminate labels. Made from two or three layers of coloured phenolic or acrylic laminate — the top layer is engraved away to reveal the contrasting colour underneath. The de facto standard for switchboard and electrical identification labels in Australia.
Engraving Laminate: The generic industry term for traffolyte-style layered plastic sheets used for engraved labels. Available in dozens of colour combinations and thicknesses from 0.8mm up to 3mm.
Laser Engraving: Non-contact engraving method using a CO2 or fibre laser to ablate the surface layer of a material. Produces crisp, fine-detail results on traffolyte, anodised aluminium, stainless steel, and other engraving-grade materials.
Rotary Engraving: Mechanical engraving using a spinning cutter (burin) to remove material from the surface. Used for deep engraving on metals and plastics where laser marking is unsuitable.
DXF: Drawing Exchange Format. A CAD file format used to send vector artwork to laser engravers and cutters. The Label Designer accepts DXF uploads for custom shapes.
Anodised Aluminium: Aluminium with an electrochemically formed oxide surface that can be laser-marked. Used for outdoor and industrial labels where plastic isn't suitable.
Stainless Steel Tag: Laser-engraved or mechanically stamped stainless tag. Used in marine, wash-down, food-processing, and high-temperature environments where other materials fail.

Electrical Terms

RCD: Residual Current Device. A protective device that monitors the difference between incoming and outgoing current on a circuit, and trips if there's a leakage to earth above a set threshold (typically 30mA). Required on most circuits under AS/NZS 3000.
RCBO: Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent. A combined circuit breaker and RCD in a single device — protects against both overcurrent and earth leakage.
Main Switch: The single switching device that isolates the entire installation from the supply. Must be clearly labelled and readily accessible per AS/NZS 3000 Clause 2.5.3.
Arc Flash: A sudden release of energy from an electrical fault, creating a plasma arc that can reach 19,000°C and produce severe thermal, pressure, and blast hazards. Managed via risk assessment, PPE, and hazard labelling.
Incident Energy: The thermal energy a worker would be exposed to during an arc flash event at a specified working distance. Expressed in cal/cm². Used to determine the required PPE category.
Lockout / Tagout (LOTO): A safety procedure where equipment is isolated, physically locked in the OFF position, and tagged to prevent accidental energisation during maintenance. Required under WHS regulations in many commercial and industrial contexts.
Multiple Supplies: A switchboard fed from more than one source — e.g., mains plus solar, mains plus generator. Requires a 'WARNING — MULTIPLE SUPPLIES' label under AS/NZS 3000.
Circuit Schedule: The list of circuits in a switchboard — circuit number, breaker rating, description, and RCD protection. Usually laminated or engraved and fitted inside the switchboard door. Should match the physical labels exactly.
Earth Fault Loop Impedance: The total impedance of the fault current path from the active conductor, through the fault, and back to the source via the earth return. Low impedance is needed to ensure protective devices trip fast enough during a fault.

Industrial & Facilities Terms

Cable Tag: An identification label attached to a cable — typically showing the circuit number, voltage, phase, and source. Used extensively in commercial and industrial installations for traceability.
Valve Tag: An identification label attached to a valve — showing valve number, system, service (e.g., chilled water, steam), and normal position (open/closed). Standard in mechanical services and process plants.
Asset Tag: An identification label fitted to equipment or infrastructure for inventory and maintenance tracking. Usually includes an asset number, barcode or QR code, and owner details.
P&ID: Piping and Instrumentation Diagram. Engineering drawing that shows pipework, valves, instruments, and control loops. Valve tag numbering typically follows the P&ID.
Service Tag: A tag attached to equipment after in-service testing (e.g., test and tag), recording the test date, tester, and next test due date.

3D Printing Terms

FDM: Fused Deposition Modelling. The most common 3D printing method — molten plastic filament is extruded through a heated nozzle and deposited layer by layer. Used for functional parts, prototypes, and enclosures.
PLA: Polylactic Acid. Biodegradable thermoplastic — easy to print, rigid, low warp. Good for prototypes and indoor parts but softens above ~60°C, so not suitable for automotive or hot outdoor applications.
PETG: Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol. Tougher than PLA, slightly flexible, UV and moisture resistant. A good all-round choice for functional parts that see mild heat or outdoor exposure.
ABS: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. Tough, temperature-resistant engineering plastic. Used for enclosures, automotive parts, and tools. Harder to print than PLA — requires an enclosure to prevent warping.
TPU: Thermoplastic Polyurethane. Flexible, rubber-like material — used for seals, gaskets, phone cases, and wearable parts.
Nylon: Strong, wear-resistant engineering plastic used for functional mechanical parts. Requires a dry filament — absorbs moisture readily.
STL: STereoLithography file. The standard 3D model format for 3D printing — represents geometry as a mesh of triangles. Most CAD software can export to STL.

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