Glossary

Abrasion resistance refers to the ability of solid surfaces to withstand mechanical stress, particularly friction. Abrasion resistance is determined by the surface properties of the materials involved.

Materials such as PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) and PEEK (polyether ether ketone) exhibit good abrasion resistance.

You can find our PVDF heat-shrink tubing here:

https://www.bit-gmbh.de/en/products/bpvdf-175-kynar-heatshrink/

Anchor cable ties are cable ties fitted with a fixing anchor for securing them to machine components.

American Wire Gauge, abbreviated to AWG, is a system for classifying wire diameters. It is used to designate electrical cables made from stranded and solid wire, and is primarily used in electrical engineering to specify the cross-sectional area of conductors.

Heat-shrinkable moulded part for sealing multi-core cables and wires.

Markers, e.g. made from printed heat-shrink tubing, for marking and labelling cables.

A tool, often shaped like a pistol, designed for the quick and easy fitting of cable ties. Most models feature adjustment mechanisms that allow you to select different tension levels.

Cable ties are versatile fasteners. They were developed to enable cables to be bundled quickly and easily. Today, they are used in a wide range of applications. Cable ties have therefore been further developed and are available in many different designs.

A material’s specific resistance to chemicals.

Cold-shrink tubing is made from a flexible material such as silicone or elastomer. The tubing is supplied in an expanded state on a support coil.

To fit the cold-shrink tubing, the spiral is removed and the tubing moulds itself to the object.

Click here to go to the product page for the BHW CS cold-shrink tubing.

A single cable for the transmission of electrical energy.

Corrosion is the name given to the reaction between a material and its environment. To prevent this reaction, heat-shrink tubing is often used as a form of corrosion protection.

Corrugated conduit tubing is made of rigid plastic, e.g. PP or PA, and is made flexible by its corrugation.

Crimping is a mechanical joining technique in which the connection is formed by squeezing together metal sleeves, known as crimp sleeves.

In the field of polymeric materials, cross-linking refers to the chemical reaction that leads to the interlinking of macromolecular chains and thus to the formation of networks. Cross-linking imparts the mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of high-performance plastics to engineering plastics.

The dielectric strength of an insulating material is the maximum electric field strength that can exist within it without causing a breakdown. This value is often expressed in kV/mm.

Abbreviation for the German Institute for Standardisation. It is based in Berlin (Germany).

A protective conductor is an electrical conductor used for safety purposes, for example to protect against electric shock. The abbreviation for the protective conductor is PE (protective earth). The purpose of the protective conductor in electrical systems is to protect people in the event of a fault. The colour code for the protective conductor is green-yellow.

Elastomers are dimensionally stable yet elastic plastics which deform under tensile or compressive loads but then return to their original shape.

EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) refers to the ability of electrical or electronic equipment to operate without causing interference to, or being affected by, its surroundings.

Heat-shrink end caps are suitable for sealing the ends of cables, wires and ropes, and provide protection against dust, dirt and moisture.

Expandable braided sleeves are particularly flexible protective sleeves that can be manufactured from various plastics, such as polyamide 6.6, polyester or polypropylene. By using individual strands of varying thicknesses and different braiding patterns, it is possible to produce particularly abrasion-resistant versions or protective sleeves with high expansion ratios.

Abbreviation for the plastic fluoroethylene-propylene. It is used, amongst other things, in the manufacture of insulating and heat-shrink tubing, and is resistant to high temperatures and various chemicals.

Fiberglass sleeving is braided from glass fibre yarn. It is manufactured as uncoated raw sleeving, coated with silicone, PUR or acrylic, and in impregnated versions.

A reaction between (manufactured) materials and oxygen, in which heat is released. Flammability is usually classified on the basis of fire tests, e.g. UL 224 VW-1, UL 94, DIN 4102 and FMVSS 302.

Fluoroplastics include, amongst others, the non-meltable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and its modifications – better known as Teflon® – and the thermoplastically processable polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

FMVSS stands for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and is a set of technical regulations governing assemblies and components of motor vehicles.

Glass fabric sleeves are protective sleeves that are woven, braided or knitted from textile fibres.

Halogen-free substances are those that do not contain any halogens, such as chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I) or fluorine (F).

Halogen-free heat-shrink and insulating tubing has been developed to minimise the high toxicity and smoke density produced by burning wires and cables. Halogen-free tubing, as well as cables and wires, is predominantly used in public buildings and in passenger transport.

Heat-shrink boots are heat-shrinkable tubing sections.

A heat-shrink sleeve is used to protect cable joints from water and external influences.

Plastic tubing that shrinks when exposed to heat, usually by the application of hot air. Alternatively, there are also variants known as cold-shrink tubing, which contract without the application of external heat. What all heat-shrink tubing has in common is that it primarily serves as a protective and/or electrically insulating sheath for the material it covers.

Heat-shrink tubing markers are heat-shrink tubing with a special surface finish that is ideally suited to thermal transfer printing. This tubing is supplied pre-printed and pre-cut. This enables durable and robust cable marking.

Printed heat-shrink tubing

What is IEC 60684?

IEC 60684 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for flexible electrical insulating tubing. It was drawn up by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and is recognised worldwide. The standard covers a wide range of materials, such as PVC, polyolefin, PTFE and silicone, and describes their properties, test methods and classifications.

What is the IEC 60684 standard relevant to?

IEC 60684 is particularly relevant for companies in the cable assembly, automotive and electrical engineering sectors that use or process heat-shrink and insulating tubing. It ensures standardised quality, safety and comparability of the tubing used.

Key characteristics in accordance with IEC 60684

• Mechanical strength (e.g. tensile strength and tear strength)
• Electrical dielectric strength
• Heat resistance and temperature classes
• Flame resistance
• Chemical resistance

Structure of the standard

IEC 60684 is divided into several parts, for example:

• IEC 60684-1: General requirements
• IEC 60684-2: Test methods
• IEC 60684-3: Specific requirements for various types of tubing

Why is IEC 60684 important?

Anyone using tubing certified to IEC 60684 can be confident of consistently high quality and safety. In many projects, compliance with this standard is a prerequisite for the approval of electrical assemblies and cable harnesses.

IEC 60684 and heat-shrink tubing

Many heat-shrink tubing products made from polyolefin or other materials are tested and classified in accordance with IEC 60684. The standard helps to select the appropriate products for applications with high requirements in terms of insulation, protection and temperature resistance.

Conclusion

IEC 60684 is a key standard for the selection and quality assurance of insulating and heat-shrink tubing in technical applications. Companies requiring high-quality electrical insulation should ensure they use products that comply with this standard.

The term ‘inlay’ refers to an insert. PTFE-FEP dual-shrink tubing has a PTFE outer layer and an FEP ‘inlay’.

Insulating tubing is protective plastic tubing that insulates and protects cables and wires from external influences.

Kynar® is the Arkema Group’s brand name for the material PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride).

LABS is the abbreviation for the German term ‘Lackbenetzungsstörende Substanzen’ (substances that interfere with paint wetting).

This describes all substances that cause defects when surfaces are painted.

‘LABS-free’ means that the product does not contain any materials that interfere with paint wetting.

Examples of LABS include silicones and fluorinated substances.

Heat-shrink tubing shrinks in both diameter and length. The longitudinal shrinkage must be taken into account when cutting the tubing to length.

Flat-rolled polyolefin heat-shrink tubing with an increased shrink ratio, which, thanks to its special surface finish, is ideally suited for printing with thermal transfer printers.

They are usually made from polyolefin (with the exception of elastomers), have an increased shrink ratio and are particularly suitable for high mechanical stresses. With an optional internal adhesive coating, they also offer excellent protection against the elements.

The melting point is the temperature at which a substance melts, that is, changes from a solid to a liquid state.

Nylon is the trade name for polyamide 6.6; it is used, for example, in the manufacture of cable ties.

Perforation refers to the process of making holes in flat objects. Heat-shrink tubing is sometimes supplied perforated so that the end user can easily separate the continuous length of tubing.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a thermoplastic belonging to the polyester family and is used in the manufacture of various technical tubing products.

Polyamides are thermoplastics used in the manufacture of extruded tubing, expandable braided sleeves, corrugated conduit tubing and cable ties.

Plastics belonging to the polyolefin group (ethylene, propylene and butylene polymers) are semi-crystalline thermoplastics. They are generally characterised by good chemical resistance, high toughness and elongation at break, as well as good electrical insulation properties.

Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic and belongs to the polyolefin group. Among other things, it is used in the manufacture of corrugated conduit tubing.

Polytetrafluoroethylene is a fluoropolymer with a high temperature resistance of up to +260°C. Due to its excellent resistance, PTFE is often used as a coating in applications involving aggressive chemicals. BIT offers insulating tubing and heat-shrink tubing made from PTFE.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is an inexpensive and versatile material. PVC is resistant to acids, alkalis, alcohols, fats, aliphatic hydrocarbons, petrol (rigid PVC only) and detergents. BIT offers insulating tubing made from flexible PVC and heat-shrink tubing made from both flexible and rigid PVC.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a fluorinated plastic with excellent thermal and chemical resistance. PVDF heat-shrink tubing is often used in the field of measurement technology.

A quality management system comprises measures for controlling, planning and optimising processes. ISO 9001 is a standard for quality management systems. The requirements are set out in this standard.

RAL colours are standardised colours. Each colour is assigned a unique number. This makes it possible, for example, to specify the colour of tubing precisely without having to provide a colour sample.

Rubber grommets are stretchy grommets that can be expanded using three-prong pliers and then slipped onto the object, e.g. a cable.

A parameter used for elastomers and rubber-like polymers to indicate the relative hardness of the material. This is determined directly from the measured depth of penetration into the material in question.

A shrink oven or shrink tunnel is used to shrink tubing onto components evenly using hot air.

Click here to view our shrink ovens / shrink tunnels

The standard notation used here is x:1, where ‘x’ denotes the multiple of the original internal diameter relative to the internal diameter after full shrinkage. For example, heat-shrink tubing with an internal diameter of 4.8 mm and a shrink ratio of 2:1 could be shrunk down to an internal diameter of 2.4 mm.

The temperature (usually in Celsius) at which heat-shrink tubing begins to shrink. This depends primarily on the material of the heat-shrink tubing in question. For example, standard polyolefin heat-shrink tubing begins to shrink at just over 90°C, whilst PTFE heat-shrink tubing only begins to shrink at around 330°C.

Various silicone rubber compounds are used in the field of technical tubing. These compounds are generally characterised by high flexibility, but often also by high resistance to chemicals and weathering. Many are also physiologically safe, making them well suited for use in the food and medical technology sectors.

Silicone heat-shrink tubing offers outstanding flexibility, is resistant to high temperatures and is halogen-free.

It is used in many industrial and medical applications where the advantages of silicone, combined with the properties of heat-shrink tubing, are required. Silicone heat-shrink tubing is available in grey and black.

SK 250

Simple, quick insulation and connection of cables.

A plastic half-tube coiled into a spiral (also known as a ‘spiral tube’), which, due to its staggered segmentation, is frequently used for bundling extremely flexible cables and cable harnesses.

Stainless steel cable ties offer excellent resistance to high temperatures and corrosive chemicals.

Strain reliefs are mechanical protective devices fitted to flexible tubing and wires. They secure the components at the connection points.

In electrical engineering, a stranded wire is an electrical conductor consisting of individual wires that is easy to bend. Copper is usually used as the conductor in electrical cables.

Talc is a very common layered silicate. When finely ground, talc is used, amongst other things, as a release agent for cables or tubing, particularly silicone tubing.

A measuring instrument used in production to ensure product quality.

In thermal transfer printing, a ribbon coated with temperature-sensitive ink is stretched between the tubing and the thermal print head. The print head consists of a large number of individual heating elements, which transfer the print image onto the tubing via the ribbon. Thermal transfer printing is generally characterised by a higher surface gloss than the print image produced by comparable processes; however, it can only reproduce halftones on the plastic in a screened pattern, as the ink layer on the ribbon can only ever be completely transferred.

An independent organisation headquartered in the State of Illinois, United States, which certifies products in terms of their safety and harmlessness. To this end, UL tests components, materials, products and systems to determine whether they meet specific requirements. Provided they meet these requirements, the products tested in this way are permitted to bear the UL mark, for which a fee is payable.

Also referred to as UL standards, UL certifications or approvals. These are specific requirements that a product must meet in order to be permitted to bear the UL mark. In the field of technical tubing, the following UL specifications are of particular interest: UL 94: test for the flammability of plastics; UL 224: requirements specifically for extruded heat-shrink and/or cross-linked tubing; and UL 1441: requirements specifically for coated electrical insulating sleeving.

The UN/ECE Regulations comprise a catalogue of internationally agreed technical regulations for motor vehicles and buses, as well as for parts and equipment fitted to buses. UN/ECE Regulation No. 118 sets out requirements to ensure fire safety in buses.

BIT offers a range of insulating tubing that meets the requirements of UN/ECE Regulation No. 118.

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UV resistance refers to a material’s ability to withstand UV radiation. Plastic products, such as heat-shrink tubing and insulating tubing, can be damaged by direct sunlight. UV radiation can cause ageing, colour fading and cracking. To achieve good UV resistance, many plastics are blended with additives such as carbon black. Most black heat-shrink and insulating tubing is UV-resistant.

The term ‘vehicle electrical system’ refers to the totality of all electrical components in vehicles, such as cars, commercial vehicles, aeroplanes, ships and trains.

Trade name for fluoroelastomers manufactured by DuPont Performance Elastomers LLC, headquartered in the State of Delaware, United States. As a high-cost flexible material, Viton® is characterised not only by its relatively high temperature resistance but, above all, by its excellent resistance to chemicals and hydrocarbons – particularly oils, acids and fuels.

A test method for determining the flammability of a material. This test method is listed as a reference standard in UL 1581 for electrical wires, cables and conductors, and is used, for example, as part of the UL 224 test.

Electrical wires consist of metallic conductors and an insulating sheath. A group of conductors (cores) that are insulated from one another is collectively referred to as a wire or cable.

Wire end ferrules are used to protect the stripped ends of stranded cables.

A wiring harness is a bundle of individual wires that transmit signals (information) or operating currents (energy). The wires are grouped into individual strands using, for example, cable twisters, cable ties, heat-shrink tubing, insulating tubing or corrugated conduit tubing.