This section provides overview, applications, and principles of heat shrinkable tubing. Also, please take a look at the list of 50 heat shrinkable tubing manufacturers and their company rankings.
Heat-shrinkable tubing is tubing that has been processed to shrink when heat is applied.
The molded resin tubing is radiation treated and is widely used mainly to protect and insulate electric wires. To use, simply pass the wire through the heat-shrinkable tubing and apply heat with a heat gun or similar device. The process is simple and can be used in any work environment.
Heat shrink tubing is a material that shrinks to fit the covered wires, and is mainly used to protect, insulate, waterproof, and prevent corrosion of wires and parts.
Specific applications are as follows
Heat-shrinkable tubing is made of high molecular polymers such as polyethylene and various elastomers. These materials have the property of shrinking under heat while retaining their flexibility.
The above polymers are irradiated with electron beams to induce a cross-linking reaction during the tubing manufacturing stage. When the tubing after the cross-linking reaction is heated and stretched, it solidifies while remaining elongated, and when heated again, the tubing shrinks back to the size it was before being stretched. This is the principle of heat shrinkable tubing.
Heat shrinkable tubing is classified into single-layer heat shrinkable tubing and double-layer heat shrinkable tubing, depending on the difference in structure.
When heat is applied, the tubing shrinks in the diameter direction, and the shrinkage ratio is approximately 2:1 to 3:1. Materials include rubber-based, PE-based, fluoroplastic-based, and silicone resin-based. There are many types of heat-shrinkable tubing, so proper selection is essential.
One-layer heat-shrink tubing is a common type of tubing and is divided into "thin-wall," "medium-wall," and "thick-wall" tubing based on the thickness. The purpose of one-layer heat-shrink tubing is to provide insulation or partial protective protection. Each color of tubing is sold in different colors and can be used for identification.
Two-layer heat shrink tubing consists of two layers, an inner layer and an outer layer. It is used for electrical insulation and mechanical protection. Due to the thicker layers, it may be used to protect against humidity and corrosive environments. Like one-layer heat shrink tubing, it is sold in various colors for identification purposes.
The size of heat shrink tubing should be selected so that the inner diameter after shrinkage is thinner than the target object. The length will also shrink slightly, so select and cut a slightly longer length. Shrinkage rates vary depending on the material, so check the heating conditions prior to the work. When cutting, it is important to align the cut surface neatly, as the cut surface may break.
Heat shrink tubing requires the use of a heating apparatus. To use it safely, it is essential to be careful of burns and to use the apparatus properly. In particular, when using an open flame such as a gas burner, the tube will melt due to overheating, so the flame must be turned off at the appropriate time.
In addition, when wrapping items with good heat conductivity such as metals, it is difficult to shrink them because they easily lose heat during heating, so it is necessary to apply heat for a longer period of time than usual to deal with this problem. Never use it for electrolytic capacitors, secondary batteries, etc. This is because they may burst due to heating. Therefore, working near them should also be avoided as much as possible.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the heat shrinkable tubing page as of January 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
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