RS PRO Heat shrink tubing

A range of high quality, easy to use RS Pro heat shrink tubing for general purpose applications made from flexible, flame retardant polyolefin. These shrink tubings have a low shrink temperature of only 70°C (minimum) and a 3:1 shrink ratio, which means they shrink to one-third of the original diameter and are ideal for covering irregular or complicated shapes.

Shrink tubing is a type of extruded plastic tubing that is cut to size and can be pulled over a wire or cable joint to protect and insulate the joint. When heated, the hose shrinks permanently and provides a protective seal. How much it shrinks depends on the shrink rate. At purchase the hose is in extended condition. It has a memory function so that it returns to its original state when heated. Higher shrinkage rates are required to cover materials with larger size variations.

The diameter of the wire or cable is measured and a heat shrink tube of the correct size is selected. A piece of the hose is cut to a length sufficient to cover the connection or joint after heating. This is then pushed onto the wire. After the cable or wire is connected, the piece of shrink tubing is pulled over the joint and heated with a hot air gun until it shrinks and tightly wraps the joint.