In addition, heat shrink can be used over small parts and wires to provide minor abrasion resistance.
Other applications for heat shrink are as a strain relief for color-coding specific components, identifying various components through the use of various colored tubes, and to change the texture of the finish of an object. This protection allows components to be used in areas where they could be exposed to moisture and chemicals as well as dust and other fine particulates. Heat shrink can also be used to create cable entry seals providing protection from the surrounding environment. It’s able to be used with virtually any design of conductor. When used as a protective covering, heat shrink provides protection from abrasion, cutting, scuffing, and low impact situations. When the cooled tubing is exposed to a sufficient amount of heat, it shrinks down to its original size provided it is not restrained from doing so. After the second step, the tubing is allowed to cool to room temperature in its expanded state. In the second step, which usually is proprietary to each manufacturer of tubing, heat and force are used to expand the diameter of the tubing. The base material is mixed with other additives such as colorants and UV stabilizers. In this process the tubing material is chosen based on the properties of the material to match the environment the tube is ultimately going to be used in. The first step in the manufacturing of tubing uses a standard extrusion process. Heat shrink tubing has many useful applications, including to provide electrical insulation to wires, connections, joints, terminals, and splices, as well as bundling loose items such as wires and as a protective covering. Produced using a two-step process, heat shrink is available in a wide range of materials to suit almost any application. Don’t guess on what size tubing you need.Ĭontact Lapp Tannehill customer service for any questions when selecting heat-shrink tubing for your application, or request a couple of different sample sizes to try out first.Heat shrink tubing, also known as heat shrink, is a shrinkable tube that shrinks radially when exposed to heat.
This will allow the heat shrink tubing to come to room temperature while assisting in full recovery of the tubing. Follow the guidelines for recommended recovery.If there is not-uniform heating of the tubing, you may see wrinkles, which can be called chill marks. When using a heat gun to shrink the tubing, make sure to heat the tubing uniformly.You may run into problems if the tubing is not heated high enough (it may not fully recover) or if heated too high, the tubing could split or possibly show burn marks. Don’t forget to verify the temperature guidelines before heating the tubing.If you are trying to insulate material that is jagged or has a sharp edge, watch that it does not cause a cut or puncture to the tubing which could result in splitting or cracking during the installation process. Watch out for jagged or sharp edges that you are covering.The tubing can shrink more than the recovered ID specified, but will always meet the maximum specified dimension. Not all heat shrink tubing is alike! Heat shrink tubing does not always shrink to the same fully-recovered dimensions while shrinking.Ĭheck the dimension specifications for the recovered internal diameter of the heat shrink tubing before heating.Heat shrink tubing is supplied at a minimum expanded diameter and will remain consistent. Use the specified expanded ID dimension to determine the correct size tubing.You will see more longitudinal change the more the heat shrink tubing is heated. If cutting into pieces, don’t forget to factor in longitudinal change before cutting the pieces.ĭon’t forget to factor in longitudinal shrink (especially for smaller pieces), the tubing will shrink back or change length during the recovered state.Sometimes when heating, the heat shrink tubing may tear during recovering if it is not the correct size before heating. Try not to force the tubing over an object by stretching or pulling it.You want a secure and tight fit of the heat shrink tubing, make sure the tubing after shrinking is smaller than the diameter of the object you are insulating or splicing. Select the proper size of heat shrink tubing for your application.
Even though it’s a commonly used product, there are still some things that you will need to remember when choosing and installing heat shrink tubing to get the best coverage. Heat shrink tubing is a versatile product that can be used in a variety of applications where you find wire and cable.