Heat shrink tubing is a remarkable material. It’s such a common and important part of industrial electrical identification that it’s easy to take it for granted. Let’s explore, in simple terms, how they put the “shrink” in shrink tube labeling.
Most shrink tube is made from polyolefin, a material that moulds into tube shape easily and is resistant to solvents and chemicals. Tough and durable stuff.
The material is extruded into tubes then cross-linked, a process that changes the physical properties of the material. The tubes are heated, expanded in diameter, and rapidly cooled.
The heat shrink tube is packaged and sold, in our case, for wire marking purposes.
Labels can then be printed by the end user and applied to wires or cabling. The end user heats the shrink tube and voila, the tubing shrinks back to its original diameter all snug and comfy on the wire(s).
Learn more about shrink tube labeling in our Guide to Heat Shrink Tubing. Download it here.
Shop online for industrial electrical identification products here.
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