Here at Shrinkshop.com, we carry a wide variety of wiring accessories - - but our true specialty is heat shrinkable tubing. Sometimes called shrink tube, shrink wrap, or heatshrink, it’s all referring to the same thing (unless you mean shrink wrap used for food or packaging materials - - not a good use for heatshrink!)
Heat shrinkable tubing is a plastic tube used to insulate and/or protect wires. Sometimes used in heavy duty applications where abrasion resistance or environmental protection is needed. It’s often used to repair broken insulations, or provide extra protection against abrasion. And because we provide heat shrink in a large variety of colors and offer custom printing, it is also useful for organizing, labeling, and/or coding wiring or other products. We hear about new uses for heat shrink regularly and will continue to share some of those with you here! (Protecting charges that fray easily, revive old shoelaces, attaching a magnet to a cable tie, and even fixing glasses!)
Most heat shrinkable tubing is either a nylon or a polyolefin material. Shrinkshop.com carries exclusively Thermafix™ brand – a high quality polyolefin that is much sturdier than its nylon counterpart.
Our heat shrink is available in a variety of types to best suit your needs. Here are some terms that might be helpful:
- Shrink ratio: this is how much the heat shrink actually shrinks. 2:1 is the most common heat shrink, which shrinks to half of its original size. There is also 3:1 and 4:1.
- Single or Dual Wall - - this refers to the inner layer on the heat shrink. Dual wall refers to a layer of glue on the inside of the heat shrink. When it shrinks down, it adheres to what you are shrinking it on to and creates a waterproof barrier. This also means it’s harder to remove – so use this only if it’s a permanent placement.
How do you use your heat shrinkable tubing? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!