Monday 28 December 2015

How to choose the right heat shrink tubing?

Heat shrink tubing is a product that is used in various numbers of applications both for preventive maintenance, which includes sealing, relieving strain padding, and for making repairs whether permanent or temporary. There are number of materials that are used to create this product such as thermoplastics, PVC, PTFE, and FEP. Heat shrink tubing is widely used in latest medical equipment, aircrafts, planes, and vehicles.

The heat shrink tubing has all the necessary electrical qualities, which includes high dielectric and resistivity.  These qualities make it suitable for use with terminations, circuit board applications, and connections.

There are number of factors that you need to consider while choosing a heat shrink tubing and some of them are-
  • Wall thickness- The thickness of the tubing wall is measured in inches or millimeters and it is usually determined based upon the tubing’s technical data.
  • Length- The length of the heat shrink tubing depends on the type of material that you choose.  It has small length during the recovery time that varies from 5-10 percent depending on the type of material.  So make sure to consider the change of length after recovery.
  • Shrink ratio- The heat shrink tubing shrinks when heat is applied and it is usually classified on the basis of different ratios, which include 2:1, 3:1, or 2.5:1. The shrink tubes with higher ratios are usually required for larger underlying materials to be covered.
  • Size- Make sure to consider the size and diameter of the materials that are to be covered. Always purchase the one that is 20-30 percent larger than its dimension.
Apart from all these, there are some other factors also that you need to consider such as temperature, chemical resistance, flexibility, strength, voltage ratings, water resistance and many more.

Moreover, the heat shrink tubing are available in variety of colors, which helps in easy identification. The heating procedure is usually completed using heat shrink tubing gun, which is available with the heat shrink tubing kit that you purchase.

Furthermore, you can take help from a professional manufacturer, in case you find it difficult to choose the right heat shrink tubing.

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