Just ahead of booth setup at the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo in Milwaukee, Wiring Harness News caught up with the team at Weidmuller USA to preview what they planned to show. With the event now behind us, that conversation offers a look at where the company is putting its focus, both on the shop floor and in digital workflows.
At the center of the discussion was the PrintJet MINI, a compact UV ink printer designed to sit between high-volume production systems and lower-cost thermal options. According to the Weidmuller team, that middle ground is where a lot of customers operate. “In many cases, labeling isn’t high volume, but it’s constant,” the team said. “Customers need something that fits into daily work without requiring a large investment or a dedicated setup.”
A Mid-Range Solution That Fits the Work
The PrintJet MINI is positioned as a mid-range system in both capability and cost. It fills the gap between larger platforms like the PrintJet Connect and smaller marking solutions, offering a practical option for day-to-day labeling.
That positioning reflects a shift in how marking is handled in many harness and panel environments. Instead of relying on centralized printing, more shops are moving toward on-demand labeling closer to where the work is happening. The MINI is built with that in mind.
Mobility Changes the Workflow
Mobility is one of the most important aspects of the system. Rather than sending operators across the shop to a printing station, the printer can be placed right at the work area. “Customers can print exactly what they need, when they need it, right where they are working,” the team said.
For low-volume, high-mix work, that makes a difference. The ability to move the unit between work cells or set it up next to an assembly reduces unnecessary movement and helps keep jobs moving.
The printer runs on standard power today, with the possibility of external battery options to extend that mobility further.
Printing Only What You Need
The MINI supports full and half MultiCards, along with individual marker segments. That flexibility addresses a common issue in industrial marking.
In many systems, users are forced to print an entire card even if they only need a portion of it. The rest is often thrown away.
“With individual segments, users can print exactly what they need instead of wasting the rest of the card,” the team noted.
That reduces material waste and allows partially used cards to be reused, which is not always possible with other systems. For shops handling varied work, that flexibility can add up quickly.
Built for Industrial Conditions
The PrintJet MINI uses UV ink with integrated curing, so labels are ready as soon as they come out of the machine. The result is a clean, durable print that holds up to scratching, chemicals, and environmental exposure. That level of durability is expected in industrial applications, particularly inside control cabinets or in field installations.
The system delivers up to 600 dpi resolution and is designed for consistent marking performance in everyday use.
Simple to Run, Minimal to Maintain
Ease of use was clearly a priority in design. The MINI features a touchscreen interface and focuses on the functions operators use most, rather than offering a long list of options. The goal is to reduce training time and limit user error.
The system can also operate independently, using a USB input or internal memory. Jobs can be preloaded and executed without a constant connection to a computer, which is useful in mobile or field applications.
Maintenance is straightforward. The ink cartridge and printhead are combined into a single unit, so if performance drops, the user replaces the cartridge rather than servicing individual components. Aside from occasional cleaning of internal waste collection, upkeep is minimal.
Where It Fits
The PrintJet MINI is aimed at a mix of users, including panel builders, system integrators, and field technicians. It is not designed for continuous, high-volume production, but for situations where labeling needs to happen quickly and without interruption. “Anywhere labeling needs to happen quickly, this fits,” the team said. In many shops, that means the printer is used as needed throughout the week rather than running full time. When it is needed, it needs to be ready.
Eplan Integration on Display
Alongside the printer, Weidmuller used EWPTE to highlight its collaboration with Eplan and the role of digital integration in panel building.
The booth demonstration focused on how engineering data moves from design into production. Using Eplan, design data is created and then transferred into Weidmuller’s systems for configuration, assembly, and marking.
The integration covers several areas. DIN rail designs created in Eplan can be used within the Weidmuller Configurator. Marker data can be exported directly into Weidmuller’s printing software, M-Print PRO, for output on systems like the PrintJet MINI. Wire data can also be passed along to support automated cutting, stripping, crimping, and marking through the company’s Wire Processing Center, where pre-processed wires can be delivered ready for installation.
The intent is to reduce the need for manual data entry and avoid the errors that come with it. “What we are showing is how engineering data flows through the entire process,” the team said.
Bringing Marking Into the Workflow
For marking, that integration changes how the process is handled. Instead of being treated as a separate step, labeling is driven by the same data used in design. In practical terms, that means marker information created in Eplan can move directly into the printing workflow without being recreated on the shop floor.
For a system like the PrintJet MINI, that creates an additional layer of value. It can be used as a standalone tool when needed, but it can also operate within a connected workflow where data is already defined and ready to use. As more shops look to connect engineering and production, that type of integration is starting to show up more often on the shop floor. For those interested in the broader wire processing offering, additional information is available on t