Why is Heat Shrink used?
1 min readHeat Shrink Tubing comes in many different sizes and colors. Heat Shrink tubing works by creating a “protective” layer around a cable, wire, or even a connection. Once you apply the heat shrink tubing over a wire or cable, it must be heated up (with a heat shrink gun), which causes it to shrink in size to create the seal around the wire or cable. A heat shrink gun (pictured below) is basically a high-powered “hair dryer” specifically designed for this purpose.
Typical Heat Shrink Gun
Heat Shrink Tubing has many uses that include:
- Strain Relief: Heat shrink tubing is mainly used for “strain relief” and preventive maintenance to avoid future issues with wires and cable (see example below).
- Making repairs of “nicks” (or exposed wires) in a cable.
- Dressing up cables and wires, organizing wires, etc.
Examples of Different Sizes and Colors of Heat Shrink Tubing
