Heat-Shrink Tubing Type Heat-Shrink Tubing Type |
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| Tubing | Assortments |
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| End Caps | Splitters |
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| Tapered Tubing | Wrap-Around Tubing |
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| No-Heat Tubing | Crossover Tubing |
Minimum ID After Shrinking Minimum ID After Shrinking |
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Shrink Ratio Shrink Ratio |
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Flexibility Flexibility |
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| Continuous Flex | Flexible |
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| Semi-Rigid | Rigid |
Material Material |
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Performance Properties Performance Properties |
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Length Length |
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Minimum Wall Thickness After Shrinking Minimum Wall ThicknessAfter Shrinking |
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Maximum Temperature Maximum Temperature |
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Clarity Clarity |
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| Clear | Semi-Clear |
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| Opaque |
Shrink Temperature Shrink Temperature |
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Dielectric Strength Dielectric Strength |
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Minimum Temperature Minimum Temperature |
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Specifications Met Specifications Met |
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Liner Material Liner Material |
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Container Type Container Type |
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Minimum Length After Shrinking Minimum LengthAfter Shrinking |
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About Heat-Shrink Tubing
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About Heat-Shrink Tubing
Heat-shrink tubing is a tight-fitting insulation that protects wire, cable, and hose from the environment. It is often used to protect electrical connections at the point where wire or cable is terminated with a connector. When heat is applied, the tubing contracts to conform to whatever it is enclosing. To fit inside the tubing, the item must be smaller than the tubing’s ID before shrinking. For a tight fit, the smallest portion of the item must be the same as or larger than the ID after shrinking. In addition to ID, it is important to consider shrink ratio, dielectric strength, material, and flexibility when choosing heat-shrink tubing.
Shrink ratio is the relationship between the ID before shrinking and the smallest possible ID after shrinking. For example, a 2 to 1 shrink ratio means that the tubing ID can shrink down to half its original ID. When heat is applied, the length of the tubing also shrinks slightly (usually less than 15%). See our selection of tools to apply heat.
Dielectric strength is the maximum voltage a material can handle before it starts to breakdown. The higher the dielectric strength of a material, the better it is for preventing electricity, heat, or signal from dissipating from wire and cable.
Dielectric strength is measured in Volts per mil, where 1 mil = 0.001". For example, a dielectric strength of 2,000 v/mil means that tubing with 0.01" wall thickness (0.01" = 10 mil) can withstand 200 Volts (2,000 ÷ 10). Choose heat-shrink tubing that can withstand the same or higher voltage as your application.
Rigid tubing will not bend. Use it with wire and cable that do not need to bend, such as in straight runs.
Semi Rigid tubing bends slightly. It's often used to provide strain relief for termination points.
Flexible tubing is for use with wire and cable that needs to bend around curves and corners.
Continuous-flex tubing withstands continuous motion without breaking, tearing, or getting physically damaged. It is often used in automated applications such as robotics.
