Shrink Tubing

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Insulating or marking cables with heat shrink tubes is a common application at home for an electrician or in cable harness production.

Special plastic hoses, known as heat shrink hoses, contract considerably when exposed to heat, thus protecting the products enclosed from mechanical damage or electrically insulating them. In this application, hot air is the most common method. Leister has many years of experience in this area, as well as a leading position in the market. In electrical work, heat shrink hoses are used either for repair or for providing electrical insulation protection and corrosion protection. With its wide range of heat guns, Leister offers the right solution for any application, including the proper nozzles and additional accessories.

Electrical applications

Whether an electrician, a car mechanic or an at home, DIY electrician, heat shrink tubes are heated with a heat gun, enabling the shrink cable to mark, repair or protect, i.e. insulate electrical lines.

In electrical engineering, two cables are permanently connected by way of a prefabricated crimp connection, consisting of a sleeve protected by a heat shrink hose, in order to create electrically conductive wires. In the automotive industry, cables must be replaced or repaired when restoring, fixing or servicing cars. With a heat shrink tubing and a heat gun and special reflector nozzle from Leister or Weldy, cables can be insulated in no time at all. Leister not only offers the right hot air devices, but also special nozzles to perfectly shrink sleeves and heat shrink tubes. In addition to DIY applications, shrinking is also done in industrially.

Industrial cable harness production

In industrial applications, cable harnesses are built by hand at production sites in relation to the industry. Both Leister and Weldy heat guns can be used continuously here.

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The cable shrinking application is identical to that done at home or as a hobby, but the entire cable harnesses are prefabricated, usually in large numbers. Multiple connections are marked and insulated by means of heat shrinking tubes, but crimping is also a standard practice. During final assembly at the suppliers location, for example in the auto industry, cable harnesses are manufactured in various sizes according to customer requests.

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Processing heat shrink hoses efficiently and safely