MAX LETATWIN LM-550A3 wire marker printer – tubes, tapes, Vietnamese fonts

LM-550A3 is the latest MAX (Japan) wire marking printer, printing numbers and text on PVC tube, heat-shrink tube, tape and ID plates and half-cutting them into ready-to-use markers. Full accented Vietnamese support makes circuit and device names easy to read for Vietnamese technicians.

Most LM-550A3 buyers are panel builders and plant maintenance teams who print wire lists from drawings: prepare the list in Excel, move it into LETATWIN PC EDITOR or save a CSV to USB, then print the whole batch instead of keying each number on the printer.

It is widely used by panel builders, M&E contractors and plant maintenance teams: numbering to drawings, batch printing continuous ranges and importing data from a PC for long lists. The battery version is the LM-550A3B; the previous basic model is the LM-550E.

Consumables: ribbons LM-IR50B (PVC tube), LM-IR50BP (heat-shrink), LM-IR50W (white for coloured tube); tubes LM-TU325N, LM-TU332N, LM-TU336N, LM-TU342N…; tape LM-TP509W, LM-TP512W. TOVINA trains users at handover and provides maintenance and repair: +84 0917 399 279.

Product videos

Features for fast wire numbering

• Three sequences in one block: print source and destination (e.g. TB1-01/TB2-01) with all numbers incrementing together.
• Automatic 180° rotation: text printed both ways so it reads correctly from either end of the wire.
• AUTO SIZE: the printer adjusts character size and spacing to fit the block.
• Repeat up to 300 times per block, odd/even numbering, octal/decimal/hex, A – Z.
• FEED THE HEAD OF TUBE: switch off to reduce tube waste at the start of each job.
• USB flash and PC: open LMF or CSV files from USB; edit in LETATWIN PC EDITOR, paste lists from Excel and print.
• 110 m ribbon refills: only the refill is replaced; the LM-RC500 cassette is reused.

Choosing the printer and a starter kit

• LM-550E: keyboard entry only, no PC/USB port, no ID plates — for light, simple marking.
• LM-550A3: PC connection, LMF/CSV files from USB, ID plates — for panel shops printing from wire lists. Need it without mains power: the LM-550A3B has a built-in battery.
• LM-3000PRO: high-speed desktop printer for volume panel production.
• Typical starter consumables with the LM-550A3: LM-IR50B ribbon; LM-TU332N tube (1.0 – 1.5 mm² control wire) and LM-TU336N (2.5 mm² wire); LM-TP509W tape for terminal and device labels; a spare LM-HC340 half cutter.

Quick maintenance

• Replace the LM-HC340 half cutter after about 5,000 cuts.
• Clean the platen and clear jammed tube with the FEED function (hold SHIFT and press power for 3 seconds).
• Error codes and remedies: Maintenance & repair; consumable loading videos: User guide.

What's in the box

• Per the MAX manual: printer, carrying case, ribbon case with one black ink ribbon (for tubes and tapes), AC adapter and instruction manual.
• Attachment for small φ1.5 / 2.0 mm tubes and MAX Grip tubes φ2.9 / 3.7 / 4.6 mm.
• A USB cable is not in MAX's accessory list; any standard USB 2.0 A–B cable works.
• Tubes, tapes, ID plates and a spare cutter are bought separately to suit your wire sizes.

Advanced settings for clean prints

• Print density (default level 4): raise it when text is faint, lower it when ink smears onto the tube or tape.
• Low-temperature mode: the printer slows to about 20 mm/s so the ink bonds well in a cold room.
• Print line moves up or down; cutting position adjusts from −2.0 to +2.0 mm when text sits off-centre on the tube.
• Save up to 6 setting sets (density, print line, cutting position), named per tube or tape type, so nothing needs re-adjusting when you change media.
• Slashed zero avoids confusion with the letter O; 6 and 9 can take an underline or dot so they are never read upside down.
• Four fonts: standard, clear character (easy to tell 6, 8, 9 apart), square and Vietnamese.
• Store 30 frequently used words (up to 15 characters each); default tube pitch adjustable from 10 to 150 mm; auto power-off after about 5 minutes without a key press.

Consumables for the LM-550A3

• Ribbons: LM-IR50B, LM-IR50B-AS, LM-IR50BP, LM-IR50W
• TOVINA tubes (MAX licensed): LM-TU315N, LM-TU320N, LM-TU325N, LM-TU332N, LM-TU336N, LM-TU342N, LM-TU346N, LM-TU352N…
• MAX tubes: LM-TU332N2, LM-TU342N2, LM-TU425L2, LM-TU432L2, LM-TU442L…
• Tapes: LM-TP505W, LM-TP509W, LM-TP512W, LM-TP509Y…
• ID plate: LM-ID4110; parts: LM-RC500, LM-HC340, LM13984

FAQ

• Does the LM-550A3 print accented Vietnamese? Yes, fully.
• LM-550A3 or LM-550A3B? The LM-550A3B adds AA rechargeable battery operation for sites without power; printing features are the same.
• Is training included? TOVINA trains users at handover and supports them throughout the printer's life.
• Why can't Vietnamese print at 1.3 mm? According to MAX, Vietnamese is not available at the 1.3 mm character size; choose 2 mm or larger and select the Vietnamese font in advanced settings.
• Text is off-centre on the tube — what do I adjust? Adjust the cutting position (−2.0 to +2.0 mm) and print line in advanced settings, then save them as a setting set for that tube.