PET Braided Sleeving

What is PET braided sleeving?

Expandable braided sleeving is very similar to those "Chinese Finger Cuffs" that we've all gotten our fingers stuck in.. Called by many names including Nylon braided sleeving, sheathing, wire mesh, Expando, skuff jacket, snakeskin. 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).

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) braided sleeving is by far the most widely used expandable braided sleeve in the world. It is commonly referred to as General Purpose (GP). In many cases, sleeving referred to as Nylon is actually polyester. While Nylon monofilaments do provide better abrasion resistance in some cases, it also costs 40-60% more than PET, and is overkill in most applications.

As a generalization, PET performs better in gritty, sandpaper type applications, while the abrasion resistance of Nylon is better in both wet applications, and applications where the abrading substrate is smooth (for example, rubbing against a steel rod).

While the braiding process can be controlled to regulate the expandibility of the final braid, most expandable PET 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 silver coated Mylar sleeving), all of our braided sleeving is heat treated. Our PET 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 round 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.

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?

There are are few different types of fray resistant braided sleeves on the market. One particular type has a resin applied to the braid causing the individual filaments to stick to each other. This product is sold in the market at a very high premium (more than 2x the price of our sleeving). Other types consist of nothing more than a tighter braid, causing the braid to fray less than normal when cut with scissors.

We offer three 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 $110. 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

3) View our new Fray resistant braided sleeving page