Insultab manufactures flexible, general purpose, non-shrinkable tubing and flexible and semi-rigid heat shrinkable tubing under the most stringent manufacturing controls.
Using Premium Grade 100% virgin materials, computerized mixers formulate precise compounds which will meet specific application requirements: multi-wall adhesive lined, standard and custom matched colors, standard and custom finishes, flame retardancy, UV resistance.
The compounds are heated to the melting point and extruded (pushed) through dies to form self-supporting, hollow tubes, similar to straws. The tubing is extruded in specific diameter sizes and wall thicknesses. The material is then cooled.The tubing now has a precise Inside Diameter (I.D.) size and a specific Wall Thickness. Non-shrinkable tubing is used in this form.
Extruded tubing has a specific Inside Diameter (I.D.) size. Heat shrinkable tubing is made of special compounds that impart a memory of the original, extruded I.D. size to the tubing. Radiation cross-linking converts the tubing’s compound from a thermoplastic (meltable) material to a thermoset (non-meltable) material. Cross-linking significantly improves the tubing’s physical properties: improved resistance to heat, flame and mechanical abrasion and extends the storage shelf–life of the tubing.
Using proprietary expanding machinery, the tubing is reheated to a specific temperature and expanded from one to three times the original extruded I.D. size. During this process, as the diameter of the tubing is expanded, its wall thickness is reduced – similar to blowing up a balloon. Computerized monitoring equipment ensures that the measurements of the Inside Diameters, Outside Diameters and Wall Thicknesses meet exacting specifications.
Heat shrinkable tubing is sold in its Expanded I.D. (Inside Diameter) size.
Insultab manufactures tubing in Expanded I.D. sizes of 3/64" up to 4".
WE ARE THE RECOGNIZED EXPERTS AT EXPANDING LARGE DIAMETERS.
On-line, high speed cutting, done during the manufacturing process as the material is coming off the extruders and expanders, provides perfectly straight lengths with no curvature.
Insultab’s in-house, engineered, close-tolerance cutting operations ensure square, burr-free cuts, with tight tolerances for automated assembly operations. Medical Grade heat shrinkable tubing products are custom cut in our Clean Room environment.
CLICK here to view cutting information and the CUT LENGTH TOLERANCE CHARTS
In-house, state-of-the-art printing equipment will brand and identify your tubing. We print one-sided or double-sided logos, company names, contact information, directions, cable capacities, part numbers, warnings, pictures, flow directions, cable capacities, dates, serial numbers, Military Specifications, and more, directly on your tubing and markers in a variety of ink colors.
Insultab products are either coiled onto standard size spools, cut to standard lengths or customized to meet specific requirements.
We will provide custom packaging according to customers’ requirements for:
Applying heat will activate the tubing’s ‘memory’ and cause the expanded tubing to ‘recover’ or shrink down. When fully recovered, the tubing will shrink down to the Recovered I.D.
As the tubing recovers, the thinner expanded tubing wall will thicken, similar to what happens when you let the air out of a balloon. If allowed to fully recover, the tubing wall will thicken to the ‘Total Recovered Wall Thickness Nominal’. If the tubing does not fully recover, the wall thickness will be less than the Nominal Recovered Wall Thickness. The thickness of the recovered wall will be proportional to the degree of recovery.
Longitudinal shrinkage, a small reduction in length, will also occur during the shrinking process.
