Heat shrink tubing is classified by the material it is made from the inside diameter of the un-shrunk tube and the shrink ratio. The shrink ratio is the size of the original tubing in relation to its shrunken final form. The more popular ratios are:
2:1 – The tube will become half of its original size when heat is applied. Another way to look at the ratio is that the original size will be twice as large as its shrunken form.
3:1 – The tube will become one-third of its original size when heat is applied. Another way to look at the ratio is that the original size will be three times as large as its shrunken form.
4:1 – The tube will become one-quarter of its original size when heat is applied. Another way to look at the ratio is that the original size will be four times larger than its shrunken form.
When to Use High Ratio
While these are the most common ratios, sometimes you’ll need heat shrink tubing of a much grander scale. High ratio heat shrink tubing such as 6:1 is used when covering a large substrate, like automotive wire splices, environmental sealing, and exposure to harsh elements. A higher shrink ratio enables the tubing to fit over large objects, particularly large connectors, then shrinking and encapsulating the connector.
Wire Protection
The topmost usage of heat shrinking tubes is to offer protection to the wires and cables from abrasion, cutting, scuffing and low impact situations. The Heat Shrink act as a cable entry seal that can protect the wires from environmental effects such as liquids like oil, water, and acids and also atmospheric factors, such as humidity and temperature that can cause damage to the wire. Some heat shrinks are specially designed to be used in harsh environments and operate at even at -65°C to +260°C and can also act as good protection against water and moisture. High ratio heat shrink is imperative in larger projects.
Insulation
There are no electrical circuits without connections; the heat shrinks are used to properly insulate those connections for better protection. Apart from insulating connections they are also used as an additional layer of protection to the wires as the basic insulation is not good enough. The heat shrinks are available in various sizes for ensuring a perfect fit and it won’t come off with ages as compared with the other insulation solutions.
Bundling
A huge network of wires might be frustrating to every individual who works with the electrical system. The different sizes of the heat shrink allow you to bundle a group of wires together within a single tube. This is not only an aesthetic approach but also a good wire management technique that will be more helpful during the future maintenance of the system.
Deciding what ratio you should use for your heat shrink project can be a difficult task, that’s why Nu-Tech’s here to help. Contact us today.
