TE’s heat-shrink products are in service worldwide in automotive, telecommunications, power distribution, aerospace, defense, industrial and commercial applications. Heat Shrink products are made from uniquely formulated materials that have been enhanced by radiation crosslinking, a technology that TE Connectivity under the brand of Raychem, famously pioneered.

These easy-to-use products provide cost-effective, proven solutions in a wide range of automotive applications from sealing and protecting electrical splices to providing mechanical protection for fluid management systems in harsh environments.

The single wall tubing products have a wide range of characteristics. They can be used wherever reliable insulation, strain relief, and protection from mechanical abrasion and chemical abuse are needed. They are an ideal way to identify or code components or simply use them to enhance aesthetics. The adhesive-lined range shows its strength where sealing and encapsulation are critical requirements and demonstrates many of the features of the single-wall products. The inner adhesive can deliver a true seal against moisture and fluid ingress.

Vehicle engine compartments are becoming ever more crowded and compact, often forcing cooling hoses to be routed in close proximity to high temperature engine components and under-bonnet parts. This makes hoses highly vulnerable to abrasion and chafing. This same space considerations may require hoses to be designed with sharp bends and other radical shapes, making difficult for manufacturers to fit protective sleeves where damage is likely to occur. An added complication is the effect that any over-protection may have on its surrounding components. Contacts between two hoses or a hose and a harness are hard to avoid. Where overprotectionis used to alleviate this problem it needs to be non abrasive itself and protect both components.

All electrical splices in a wiring harness need to be insulated and protected from mechanical abuse. Effective protection is becoming even more critical as ultrasonic welding is increasingly being used to make the electrical connection.

Ultrasonic welding, while providing a much better electrical connection than traditional crimping, is mechanically weak, especially in peel and tear, so additional mechanical protection and strain relief must be provided.

An automotive wiring harness is only as strong as its weakest link. In many instances that weakest link is where wires are spliced together. Nonsealed splices exposed to water, salt spray and other fluids in wet areas of the vehicle can rapidly corrode, degrading both the electrical and mechanical properties of the harness. In addition, splice joints are mechanically weak. Welded splices, in particular, are highly susceptible to peel and tear loading, and must be provided with effective strain relief.

As governments around the world pass stronger emission standards, the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow. This trend, in turn, leads to the rapid increase in the use of large gauge wire and cables. Therefore, proper protection of high voltage cable and connection requires a high-performing, highly engineered solution. TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and electronic components, introduces the new EV Single Wall (EVSW) tubing specifically designed for high voltage applications and safely insulate and protect conductive components and cables.

Our heat shrink equipment seals and protects electrical splices and provides mechanical protection for fluid management systems in harsh environments. Across a wide range of applications, we deliver optimal heating temperatures, performance and control features for greater efficiency with our heat shrink machines and equipment.