Monday 17 November 2014

Are You Selecting the Correct Heat Shrink Tubing?

Heat shrink tubing is a particular type of product used for numerous applications. As the name indicates, it’s tubing that shrinks when heat is applied. It is used for both preventative maintenance and making repairs. It is used for regular preventative protection applications such as relieving strain, sealing, and additional padding. It is extremely helpful in making repairs whether permanent or temporary. Because it doesn’t stick, it’s also used to join tubes. Material used to create this product mainly includes thermoplastics, PVC, PTFE and FEP. It is used in latest medical equipment, aircrafts, planes, and vehicles.

It has ideal electrical qualities  such as high dielectric and resistivity that makes it suitable for use with terminations, connections, and circuit board applications. It can also be used for covering damaged cable splices, jackets, insulations, and connectors.

Following are the factors to consider when selecting the size of tubing:

Size: You need to determine the diameter of primary materials to be covered. Purchase the tubing that is 20-30 percent larger than this dimension.

Shrink ratio: These tubing are classified based upon their ratio of shrink and are available in 2:1, 3:1 or 2.5:1. It means that tubing will shrink when heat is applied. Higher shrink ratio will be required for larger underlying materials to be covered.

Wall thickness: Thickness of the wall is to be determined based upon tubing’s technical data. Wall thickness is measured in inches or millimeters.

Length: It has a small loss of length during the recovery process, which varies from 5-10 percent depending on the type of material. In your selection, consider change of length after recovery.

Other Factors: You also need to consider many other valuable factors such as temperature and voltage ratings, chemical resistance, flexibility, water resistance, strength and other environmental hazards in your selection.

These tubing is available in wide range of colors, which makes the identification purpose easier. It can also be printed with permanent labels. Heating procedure can be completed using a heat gun. You will receive it with the kit you purchase.

At the end, we can say that you need to make sure that the product you are going to purchase will fit perfectly in it application. Hence, you need to be completely certain about its specifications and can seek help from manufacturer, if any assistance is required for the correct selection.

No comments:

Post a Comment