The application of heat shrink tubing in the insulation of busbars

Choosing the correct size of the heat shrink tube is the first step to ensure the construction quality. In practical applications, the required diameter of the heat shrink tube must be calculated based on the diameter or cross-sectional size of the object to be covered. One of the key indicators in the specification parameters of the heat shrink tube is the shrink ratio (such as 2:1, 3:1), which represents the ratio of the inner diameter before and after the tube shrinks. For example, if the maximum outer diameter of the copper busbar to be protected is 20mm, when using a tube with a 2:1 shrink ratio, the specification with an inner diameter of approximately 40mm before shrinking should be selected. For irregularly shaped or parts with connectors, to ensure complete coverage and tight fit, it is recommended to use Customized Busbar Insulating Tube or products with a high shrink ratio. Additionally, when cutting the heat shrink tube, the cut must be neat and smooth, and no burrs or cracks are allowed to avoid the tube spreading and cracking along the crack due to stress concentration during heating shrinkage.

The surface pre-treatment before construction is also of great importance, as it directly affects the final insulation effect. Before inserting the heat shrink tube, it is necessary to thoroughly remove the burrs, sharp corners, and other roughness on the surface of the cable or busbar to prevent puncturing the tube wall during the retraction process and causing insulation failure. At the same time, a quick-drying cleaning agent should be used to remove oil stains, impurities, and residual flux at the connection points, keeping the surface absolutely clean and dry. For scenarios with strict waterproof and moisture-proof requirements, such as EV Battery Connectors used in humid environments or outdoors, it is recommended to choose double-wall heat shrink tubes with heat-melt glue on the inner walls. When heated and shrunk, the heat-melt glue on the inner walls will melt and fill the gaps, forming a solid sealing layer after cooling, effectively blocking the invasion of moisture and corrosive gases.

Heating shrinkage is the core step in the construction process of heat shrink tubing. The operation method directly determines the uniformity and aesthetics of the protective layer. Usually, hot air guns, ovens, or industrial blowers are used as heating tools. During heating, the principle of "from the middle to both ends" or "from one end to the other" should be followed, and the heat source should be at an angle of about 45 degrees to the surface of the tube. The distance should be controlled at 4 to 5 cm. It is strictly forbidden to concentrate the flame on one spot or to be too close to the surface of the tube, otherwise it will cause local overheating and burning or even melting of the material. During the heating process, the hot air gun needs to move back and forth continuously to ensure that the entire Heat Shrink Tubing BusBar is uniformly heated. This not only avoids the formation of bubbles due to residual air inside the tube, but also ensures that the shape after shrinking is flat, uniform in thickness, and tightly adheres to the surface of the protected object.

In addition to the conventional circular cables, rectangular cross-section copper bars also play an important role in conducting electricity in the power system. For such application scenarios, Copper Busbar PVC Insulated is indeed a common insulation solution. However, in terms of high-temperature resistance and environmental protection performance, it often falls short compared to high-quality polyolefin heat shrink materials. Therefore, in situations where higher requirements are placed on temperature resistance and flame retardancy, engineers tend to use dedicated busbar heat shrink sleeves. These sleeves can adapt to the right-angle turning structure of the busbar. Through segmented heating and auxiliary mold shaping, they can effectively prevent wrinkles from forming, ensuring that the insulation layer at the bend remains dense and intact, meeting the strict creepage distance requirements.