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Nylon Braided Sleeving
What is Nylon braided sleeving? Expandable braided sleeving is very similar to those "Chinese Finger Cuffs" that we've all gotten our fingers stuck in.. When you push the end back, the sleeving expands to go over wires easily, and then when you let go, the sleeving comes back to its original diameter (or the diameter of your wire harness or bundle, whichever is larger). Nylon 6,6 is a commonly used material for expando sleeving. Its abrasion resistance in some cases is superior to PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) braided sleeving, but in other cases, it's inferior. Most braided sleeving is referred to as Nylon braided sleeving; however, 80-90% of the sleeving used worldwide is actually Polyester (PET). As a generalization, PET performs better in gritty, sandpaper type applications, while the abrasion resistance of Nylon is much better in wet applications, and applications where the abrading substrate is smooth (for example, rubbing against a steel rod). While Nylon monofilaments do provide better abrasion resistance in some cases, it also costs 40% more than PET, and is overkill in most applications. Many manufacturers actually construct their Nylon braids using a "dual monofilament" construction, which comprises of two different size monofilaments in the same braid. Some manufacturers even use a mix of PET and Nylon in their braid for an "all purpose" product. That's fine for them, but don't you want a product that's best suited for your needs? While the braiding process can be controlled to regulate the expandibility of the final braid, most expandable Nylon braided sleeving sold today is made in a standard construction that before further processing, varies very little between manufacturers. Standard braids can expand up to 2 times* their nominal size, allowing for easy installation in complex wiring harnesses, and a high degree of flexibility in the size used. *please refer to the actual sizing guidelines in the table below for expandability of individual sizes How our braid is different from our competitors' What most suppliers won't tell you is that all braid is not created equally. Most of the low cost "manufacturers" in the USA don't actually make their own braid. They just buy bulk spools from a braided sleeving manufacturer, and respool to smaller, more economical spools. We take this process a few steps further. With the exception of some of our metallized products (e.g. our Chrome sleeving), all of our braided sleeving is heat treated. Our Nylon braided sleeving is also "rounded" during the spooling process.. Rounding a braided sleeve makes it appear more like a tube than a flat product. Even spooled, the sleeving hold its round shape, making for easier installation, and a much better looking harness. Recently, a customer of ours was so happy when we switched them over to a rounded braid, we decided to switch our entire stock over. We are sure you will see the difference too. Ask your current supplier if they will make a rounded braid for you. We're sure they'll raise your price by at least 15%. Here is a picture that illustrates the difference. Both braids are 1/2" nominal. The top one is from our competitor, and the bottom one (with the little white tracers in it) is ours. The pen diameter is 3/8". See how the top one shows a crease? Click on the picture for a larger image. If you look closely at the top sleeve, you can actually see the table through the sleeving.
How can I get a fray resistant braided sleeve? At this time, there are no fray resistant Nylon braided sleeves available on the market. We offer two simple solutions to this problem: 1) Since our braid is heatset, it has some inherent fray resistance. This will allow for easy installation without much fray. Cover the ends with heat shrink tubing (our 3:1 dual wall is a great solution since it's sold in 4 foot pieces instead of spools). 2) Purchase a hot knife from us for $99. A hot knife is a great way to get a true non-fray end on your braided sleeving. Just simply turn it on, and run the sleeve down the blade, and the sleeve is cut very easily. Just make sure you're in a well ventilated area. For a picture of our bench mount hot knife cutter, click here
Look at the pictures below. A 1/2" sleeve on the left was given a clean cut with scissors prior to being put on a 3/4" highlighter. It is clear that there is some end fray. This can easily be covered with heat shrink tubing to give a clean end. The braided sleeve on the right was cut with a hot knife. This end would be fine without any heat shrink tubing. You may want to put a cable tie on the end to stop the sleeve from slipping.
Sleeving in these pictures is actually our Flame Retardant Grade, as denoted by the contrasting color tracers Features of Nylon Braided Sleeving:
Pricing for Nylon Expandable Braided Sleeving Available in Black only, 2-3 week lead time For BULK PRICING or custom cut lengths, please contact us
*Purchases of 5 or more spools (any size) will receive a 20% discount.
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