| Heat-shrink Tubing |
Website Links For Tubing |
Information AboutHeat-shrink Tubing |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT HEAT-SHRINK TUBING | |
| electronics work tools | |
| plastics applications | |
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COMPOSITION Heat shrink tubing is manufactured from a Thermoplastic material such as polyolefin, Fluoropolymer (such as FEP, PTFE or Kynar ), PVC , Neoprene , silicon elastomer or Viton . UTILITY It is placed over the connection to be protected and then heated with a Hot Air Gun or similar tool (in desperate times, poor technicians have been known to use Lighters ). When the tubing is heated, the material polymerizes further, which changes its physical properties (most importantly, an increase in Density ). The heat causes the tubing to contract as far as one half or one third of its original diameter, providing a snug fit over irregularly shaped joints. This provides good electrical Insulation , protection from dust, Solvents and other foreign materials, as well as Strain relief. But, if overheated, heat shrink tubing can melt or catch fire like any plastic. Some types of heat shrink provide an Adhesive surface on the inside to help provide a good seal, while others rely on friction from the closely conforming materials. HEAT SHRINK TYPES Heat shrink tubing is available in a variety of colours to allow easier Colour Coding of wires and connections. Recently heat shrink tubing has been used more in PC Modding to tidy up the interior of computers and provide a more aesthetic finish. As a reaction to this new market opening up, manufacturers have started producing heat shrink tubing in Luminous and UV reactive varieties. Although most heat shrink is used to provide insulation, heat shrink tubing is also available with a conductive lining to avoid the requirement to solder a joint before covering it. This may be considered poor engineering practice. Similar to heat shrink tubing is heat shrink end caps. Shaped like small mugs, these may be used to insulate cut ends of wires or cables. Heat Shrink Tubing was invented by Raychem Corporation . Leading global producers today include Tyco (which owns Raychem), Sumitomo Electric Industries (through Sumitomo Fine Polymer), Shawcor (DSG Canusa), 3M, Changyuan Group, LS Cable and a number of emerging Chinese producers. SEE ALSO REFERENCES AND EXTERNAL LINKS |
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