How well does Brady B-438 adhere to stainless steel, powder coat, and plastic surfaces?

Brady B-438 uses a Tamper Indicating Acrylic adhesive. For optimum bond strength, surfaces should be cleaned with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) wipe and allowed to dwell for 24 hours prior to full chemical or mechanical stress.

Which thermal transfer ribbons and Brady printers are compatible with B-438?

The official manufacturer-recommended thermal transfer ribbon for Brady B-438 is R4300, R4500. Using the recommended resin or hybrid ribbon ensures crisp edge definition, high-density 2D DataMatrix scanning, and compliance with abrasion rub standards. Compatible Brady printers include benchtop industrial systems (i3300, i5100, i7100, BBP33) as well as rugged portable field printers (M510, M610, and M710) depending on the SKU form factor.

How does Brady B-438 withstand industrial chemicals, solvents, and fuels?

Brady B-438 resists common industrial reagents including lubricating oils, water, mild acids, and aliphatic solvents.

Is Brady B-438 UL Recognized, CSA Accepted, or Halogen-Free?

Brady B-438 meets RoHS 2011/65/EU and REACH (SVHC) directives. It is a UL Recognized Component under standard(s) UL 969 / UL 224 with File Number(s) MH17154. It is CSA Accepted under Standard C22.2 No. 0.15 (File 041833).

What surface preparation is required before installing Brady B-438?

To achieve maximum bond strength, ensure the bonding substrate is clean, dry, and free of machining oils, silicone mold release agents, or dust. Wipe the surface with a 50/50 Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and water solution using a lint-free wipe, allow to evaporate completely, and apply firm, uniform roller or thumb pressure across the entire label face.

Home B-Numbers DirectoryB-438

Brady B-438label_film_tape27 Orderable SKUs

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Brady B-438: B -438 THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTABLE TAMPER EVIDENT MATTE METALLIZED POLYESTER LABEL STOCK

Q: What are the primary industrial applications for Brady B-438 (B -438 THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTABLE TAMPER EVIDENT MATTE METALLIZED POLYESTER LABEL STOCK)?

Brady B-438 is a high-performance Metallized Polyester designed specifically for rating plates, asset tags, and industrial equipment identification. It features a Tamper Indicating Acrylic engineered for long-term industrial reliability in environments requiring -40°C to 40°C (-40°F to 104°F) performance.

Q: What is the continuous operating temperature range for Brady B-438?

Brady B-438 is rated for continuous service temperatures from -40°C to 40°C (-40°F to 104°F). In laboratory heat-aging tests, it maintains dimensional stability and barcode contrast across broad thermal cycles.

Brady B -438 is a thermal transfer printable tamper evident matte metallized polyester label stock with a tamper indicating acrylic adhesive, designed for high performance and evidence of removal.

Material Composition

Metallized Polyester

Adhesive System

Tamper Indicating Acrylic

Operating Temperature

-40°C to 40°C (-40°F to 104°F)

Total Thickness

—

Tamper-Evident Security

B-438 Application & Installation Blueprint

Tamper-Evident & Security Void Warranty Seal • Physical application tolerances and surface engineering

Industrial Fit Certified

Installed in real-world industrial environment

Security Seal & Warranty Tamper Application

1Apply across access screws, enclosure parting lines, or calibration ports on clean dry surfaces.

2Allow 24 hours for full acrylic cross-linking bond.

3Any removal attempt causes irreversible facestock fracturing or leaves a bold "VOID" footprint on substrate.

Engineering Tolerance: Irreversible optical tamper indication prevents unauthorized warranty claims or undetected enclosure access.

Substrate Compatibility & Adhesion Matrix

Anodized Aluminum Instrument Cases

Instant Tamper (5/5)

Calibrated Metrology Equipment

Instant Tamper (5/5)

Polycarbonate Enclosure Seams

Instant Tamper (5/5)

Powder-Coated Access Panels

Instant Tamper (4.8/5)

Tested Environmental Survivability

Anti-Peel Transfer ResistanceSolvent & Oil Wipe ProofThermal Shock ResistancePermanent Void Footprint

Recommended Field & Shop Tools:

i3300 / i5100 Benchtop PrinterM610 Handheld ToolR6000 Halogen-Free Ribbon

Orderable Part Numbers, Packaging & Distributor SKUs

Official Brady SKUs, roll dimensions, package quantities, list pricing, Grainger part numbers, and printer compatibility for B-438.

Popular B-438 Formats

Standard industrial rolls and die-cut sizes with unit cost breakdown

#1 Popular Choice

Standard Part

B33-7-438

1.25 in H x 2.75 in W

Roll of 1000 Labels

Roll / Pack Total:$232.99 USD

Normalized Unit Cost:$0.23/label

Material Area Cost:$0.07/sq in

Supported Hardware:

i3300i5300BBP33+1

#2 Standard Format

Standard Part

THT-19-438-1

2 in H x 3 in W

Roll of 1000 Labels

Roll / Pack Total:$414.99 USD

Normalized Unit Cost:$0.41/label

Material Area Cost:$0.07/sq in

Supported Hardware:

BBP81i5100i6100+5

Grainger

#3 High Capacity

Standard Part

B30-222-438

2 in H x 3 in W

Cartridge of 650 Labels

Roll / Pack Total:$261.99 USD

Normalized Unit Cost:$0.40/label

Material Area Cost:$0.07/sq in

Supported Hardware:

BBP30BBP31BBP33+8

Grainger

All 27 Orderable Part Numbers

Pricing: $170.99 – $1169.00 USD

Catalog SKU	Dimensions	Packaging / Qty	List Price & Unit Cost	Order MOQ	Compatible Printers
B33-7-438Popular UPC: 888434564004	1.25 in H x 2.75 in W	Roll of 1000 Labels	$232.99 USD $0.23/label ($23.30/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	i3300i5300+2
THT-19-438-1Popular UPC: 662820301844	2 in H x 3 in W	Roll of 1000 Labels	$414.99 USD $0.41/label ($41.50/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i5100+6
B30-222-438Popular UPC: 754473211622	2 in H x 3 in W	Cartridge of 650 Labels	$261.99 USD $0.40/label ($40.31/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP30BBP31+9
B30-17-438Popular UPC: 754473211608	1 in H x 2 in W	Cartridge of 1225 Labels	$170.99 USD $0.14/label ($13.96/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP30BBP31+9
B30C-3000-438-SLPopular UPC: 754473210984	3 in W x 100 ft L	Cartridge of 100 Feet	$208.99 USD $2.09/ft ($0.17/in) $0.06/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP30BBP31+9
B30-18-438Popular UPC: 754473211615	1 in H x 3 in W	Cartridge of 1225 Labels	$239.99 USD $0.20/label ($19.59/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP30BBP31+9
THT-5-438-10 UPC: 662820301813	0.5 in H x 1 in W	Roll of 10000 Labels	$667.99 USD $0.067/label ($6.68/100) $0.13/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i5100+6
THT-14-438-10 UPC: 662820301783	0.2 in H x 0.65 in W	Roll of 10000 Labels	$457.99 USD $0.046/label ($4.58/100) $0.35/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i5100+6
B33-5-438 UPC: 888434563960	0.5 in H x 1 in W	Roll of 7000 Labels	$386.99 USD $0.055/label ($5.53/100) $0.11/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	i3300i5300+2
THT-21-438 UPC: 662820301950	3 in W x 300 ft L	Roll of 300 Feet	$651.99 USD $2.17/ft ($0.18/in) $0.06/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i5100+6
THT-17-438-3 UPC: 662820301820	1 in H x 2 in W	Roll of 3000 Labels	$409.99 USD $0.14/label ($13.67/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i5100+6
THT-53-438-3 UPC: 662820208914	0.5 in H x 2 in W	Roll of 3000 Labels	$392.99 USD $0.13/label ($13.10/100) $0.13/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i6100+4
THT-6-438-10 UPC: 662820208884	0.75 in H x 1.5 in W	Roll of 10000 Labels	$1169.00 USD $0.12/label ($11.69/100) $0.10/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i6100+4
THT-18-438-3 UPC: 662820301837	1 in H x 3 in W	Roll of 3000 Labels	$621.99 USD $0.21/label ($20.73/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i5100+6
THT-7-438-3 UPC: 662820208891	1.25 in H x 2.75 in W	Roll of 3000 Labels	$702.99 USD $0.23/label ($23.43/100) $0.07/sq in	1 ROL Standard Order	BBP81i6100+4

Showing 1 to 15 of 27 parts

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Quality Assurance, Storage & Regulatory Compliance

Standardized engineering guidelines for warehouse storage, application temperature, and agency certifications.

Shelf Life & Warehouse Storage

Expected Shelf Life: 2 Years from receipt

Storage Temperature: Below 80°F (27°C)

Relative Humidity: ≤ 60% RH

Must be stored in original packaging in a climate-controlled warehouse.

Application vs Service Limits

Min Application Temp: 50°F (10°C)

Service Temp Range: -40°C to 40°C (-40°F to 104°F)

Full Cure / Dwell Time: 24 Hours (ASTM D1000)

Clean surface of oil/grease before bonding for maximum peel strength.

Agency Testing & File Directories

UL 969 / 2238: MH17154 / MH64936

UL Directory

CSA C22.2: 041833

CSA Directory

Environmental & Safety Standards

RoHS 3 Compliance:2011/65/EU (Pass 2015/863)

REACH Status:SVHC Free (<0.1% w/w)

CA Prop 65:Compliant Notice

Certificates of Conformance (CoC) available on order shipment.

ASTM Physical & Mechanical Properties

Standardized laboratory test data measured in accordance with ASTM D 1000, ASTM D 2979, and ASTM D 2671.

Physical Property	Test Method	Standard Test Units (US)	Metric Units (SI)

Thermal Transfer Ribbon Compatibility

Official Brady recommended ribbons engineered for maximum contrast, smear resistance, and UL certification compliance.

Recommended Thermal Transfer

Series R4300

Series R4500

* Note: Testing print permanence with official Brady ribbons is required to maintain UL/CSA agency certification on printed labels.

Chemical & Solvent Resistance Matrix

Standardized dip and rub immersion test observations across industrial fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.

Tested per ASTM D 895 / Brady standard dip & rub immersion.

Chemical Reagent / Solvent	Substrate / Adhesive Effect	Thermal Ribbon Permanence
Methyl Ethyl Ketone	Tested	Tested
1,1,1 -Trichloroethane	Tested	Tested
Freon TMS	Tested	Tested
Isopropyl Alcohol	Tested	Tested
Mineral Spirits	Tested	Tested
JP-4 Jet Fuel	Tested	Tested
ASTM Reference Fuel B	Tested	Tested
SAE 20 WT Oil	Tested	Tested
Mil 5606 Oil	Tested	Tested
Rust Veto 342	Tested	Tested
Skydrol 500B -4	Tested	Tested
Super Agitene	Tested	Tested
Deionized Water	Tested	Tested
3% Alconox Detergent	Tested	Tested
10% Sodium Hydroxide Solution	Tested	Tested
10% Sulfuric Acid Solution	Tested	Tested

Environmental & Aging Durability Testing

Environmental Exposure Condition	Observation & Legibility Result
438 THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTABLE TAMPER EVIDENT MATTE METALLIZED POLYESTER LABEL STOCK - Material Spec (Brady B-438) Material family	B-438
438 is a thermal transfer printable tamper evident matte metallized polyester label stock with a tamper indicating acrylic adhesive, designed for high performance and evidence of removal. ## Verified specifications - Material type	Metallized Polyester
Service temperature (min)	-40 °C

Verified Target Applications & Use Cases

Industrial rating plates, asset identification, and electrical component labeling.

Brady B-438 Frequently Asked Questions & Engineering Guide

Verified technical answers on physical adhesion, temperature thresholds, ribbon pairings, and replacement standards for B-438.

Brady B-438 is a high-performance Metallized Polyester designed specifically for rating plates, asset tags, and industrial equipment identification. It features a Tamper Indicating Acrylic engineered for long-term industrial reliability in environments requiring -40°C to 40°C (-40°F to 104°F) performance.

Brady B-438 is rated for continuous service temperatures from -40°C to 40°C (-40°F to 104°F). In laboratory heat-aging tests, it maintains dimensional stability and barcode contrast across broad thermal cycles.

Need Custom Engineering Validation for Brady B-438?

Calculate conductor sizing, check chemical resistance charts, or find matching thermal transfer ribbons.

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