Can you imagine our homes and offices full of wires and cables lying around loosely making the space messy and untidy?

Cable accessories not only safely secure wires of various sizes to protect the power systems but also bring neatness to the place by covering ugly wires and color coding them. Heat shrink products such as heat shrink tubes, heat shrink end caps; heat shrink boots, etc. find application in variety of industries such as aeronautics, automotive, electrical, pharmaceutical, etc.

What are Heat shrink products?

Heat shrink products are made of Fluoropolymers, Polyolefin, Nylon, etc. They work on the principle of heating to contract and attain a perfect fit around wires and cables. The heating is usually done with a heat gun. Heat shrink tubes are sized based on ratio such as 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 For example a 3:1 ratio will give 67% shrinkage on heating. Here ¾’’ tubing will contract to ¼’’ Heat shrink end caps are small mug shaped. When exposed to heat they adhere to the object and protect the same.  They insulate wires and cables. They come in variety of colours and sizes. The heat shrink end caps can be used to differentiate and identify wires from a bundle and network of wires. This helps in properly organizing the entire electrical network. The adhesion lined heat shrink tubes have a layer of thermoplastic which acts as a superior sealant ensuring complete safety.

Properties

• Heat shrink products are resistant to water, fungi, chemicals, heat, etc. This protects them from environmental wear and tear such as corrosion, oxidation, effects of UV rays, etc. thus making them durable.
• They are tough, flame and heat resistant which makes them safe.
• Due to the flexibility of heat shrink products their installation and maintenance is easy. This also makes the functioning effective.
• The smooth tubing adds to the safety by covering sharp edges and preventing fluid leakage.
• These properties make the heat shrink tubes, heat shrink end caps cost effective.
• They are ideal for insulating against moisture as well as heat.

Installation

The installation of heat shrink products should be done as per international standards and guidelines. The choice of heat shrink tubes and end caps must be as per area of application. ISO certified products must be used to ensure quality leading to safety. The voltage that gives best performance must be chosen. After installation, operation at stated specifications must be checked and the same must be verified thrice. The installation, operation must be done as per the manufacturers’ checklist. The entire process must be documented.

Summarizing

Heat shrink products have a wide range of application. Heat shrink tubes and end caps are used to cover spliced cables, insulate wires, secure cables, and provide additional protection against environmental stress. These products enhance image of the products. They are the most natural choice to protect all our equipment such as TVs, computers and to bring an aesthetic appeal to products like boats, vehicles, aircrafts, etc. What would we do without these?