{"id":5049,"date":"2023-04-06T15:41:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T15:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wiretroop.com\/?p=5049"},"modified":"2023-04-07T00:22:55","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T00:22:55","slug":"wiring-harness-covers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wiretroop.com\/wiring-harness-covers\/","title":{"rendered":"Wiring Harness Covers: An Ultimate Guide On wire harness protection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
About Wiring Harness Covers, One of the valuable principles of automotive wire harnesses<\/a> is that every wiring needs abrasion resistance, electromagnetic shielding, noise reduction, and heat and mechanical damage protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why wiring harness covers<\/strong> are essential. Read on to learn more about them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The inside of a modern vehicle features the following systems;<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wiring powers various vehicle components and gets signals from the car\u2019s ECU<\/a>, keeping your car operating optimally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, most modern vehicles have smart systems to control the engine and manage the operations of the interior systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most modern vehicles\u2019 engines can run at high temperatures of over 200\u00b0F, constantly exposing the wiring to a lot of heat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, a lack of adequate insulation to protect the wiring from constant heat exposure will degrade it until it partially or completely fails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It will cause a short circuit that may cause a fire hazard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than overheating, automotive wiring harnesses require;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, you need automotive wire harness coverings\/protections for assistance in the following;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Car systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are multiple types of wiring harness covers, each suited for different applications;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cable sleeves are critical as they serve the following purposes;<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three types of cable sleeves;<\/p>\n\n\n\n They provide an open weave construction and come in polyester material, making installation easy and fast, thus reducing the cost of wire assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It also allows for the dissipation of moisture and heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, it allows you to bundle several wires and still achieve flexibility that facilitates easy motion when required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expandable cable sleeves are also made of polyphenylene, which has low moisture stability, chemical resistance, and wear stability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, they are ideal for high-temperature cable assemblies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are abrasion-resistant and lightweight cable sleeves made of polyester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They provide easy access to the bundle inside by giving you a 25% overlap, and you can assemble them over cables once you have installed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are high-temperature cable sleeves made of Nomex\u2122 fiber<\/a>, making them ideal for high-performance applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to thermal protection, this cable sleeve provides high abrasion resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their ideal application areas include aerospace, harnessing, hydraulics, and military wiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cable sleeves<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat shrink tubing entails encasing cables and wires in plastic tubes. You can shrink the tubes using a hot\/heat gun or a blow torch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When heated, the heat shrink tubing forms a close-fitting casing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its material is mostly polyolefin due to the following reasons;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike other wiring harness covers, heat shrink tubing offers strain relief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, wires and cables are usually strained as they are either stuffed into limited spaces or are not long enough, damaging the wires and cables and shortening their lifespan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, you can use heat shrink tubing to lessen the strain significantly to keep the wires and cables working as intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also clear heat shrink tubing<\/strong>, ideal when flame retardant does not matter, but mechanical performance and electrical insulation are important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Its surface is polished, adding to the aesthetics of the final application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The perfect application of heat shrink tubing includes the following;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat shrink tubing<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spiral cable wrap offers cost-effective hose and cable protection with the following characteristics;<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also an effective cable management solution, as you can branch out cables at any point in the spiral wrap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two most common cable wrap materials;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat-stabilizer nylon includes a stabilizer that slows physical properties loss as the heat increases, making cable wrap heat resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polyethylene cable wraps are durable. You can flex and bend them multiple times while maintaining their integrity and strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ideal cable wrap applications include;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cable wraps<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conduits route and protect cables inside machines, buildings, and other structures, which ensures safety if the wiring harness is changed frequently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Metal conduits are the popular option for their bonding and grounding qualities, which are vital in reducing electromagnetic interference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are also useful in preventing the emission of power cables in their housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cable conduits also exist in flexible plastics, which provide a high fatigue life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They also have high impact strength, allowing swift recovery if crushed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, they have high UV resistance, making them ideal for exterior applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the four types of plastics and their applications<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cable conduits<\/p>\n\n\n\n A tape is a wound installed around cables or wires helically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use it to cover areas between cable sleeves and other protection\/covering solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It can be expensive but doesn’t take up space, making it easy to install. Besides, it encapsulates wire bundles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two types of tape choices meet different application needs;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adhesive tape<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the primary things you need to consider while choosing cable protection (cover) for your automotive applications;<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the core considerations you should make while choosing cable protection for automotive applications is whether the cable can function reliably and effectively with minimal or no protection or whether they need protection from application hazards like high flexure or environmental elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sealed cable protection systems protect wire harnesses from failure and premature degradation and keep them debris-free. They can either be;<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are particularly robust and durable and offer greater cable protection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They also come in various polyamide materials with different flammability ratings and features, which allows designers to specify the ideal material according to the harness location & application and can enhance retrofit installations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, open systems are flexible and light-walled. So, they often peel open when exposed to high vibration or over-flexed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They also allow debris, rocks, road dirt, salt, mud, sand, and water to enter the wire harness, leading to damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Open systems are lightweight materials that do not cover high-end automotive harnesses adequately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, they may not be ideal for applications such as;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another thing to consider while selecting a cable cover for automotive applications is the location of the harness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, harnesses near the transmission, catalytic converter, or engine often need high-temperature polyamide cable protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most products are rated between -40\u00b0C to +115\u00b0C, but there are also specialty products that you can use at high temperatures of between 200\u00b0C to 300\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use less robust cable protective materials for harnesses inside the vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you can use retrofittable\/divisible conduit systems to add extra harness wires for add-on features like lighting and Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are wire harness coverings\/ protections?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Types of Wiring Harness Covers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cable sleeve<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Heat shrink tubing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cable wrap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cable conduit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plastic<\/td> Application<\/td><\/tr> Polypropylene (PP)<\/a><\/td> Cable assembliesEmbedding into wallsUnderfloor wiring<\/td><\/tr> Connections to the machine’s factory wiring<\/td> Used in trenchingCATVTelecommunicationsPower utilities<\/td><\/tr> Nylon<\/td> Split conduits for hydraulic hose applicationsHarness protection on vehicle applications<\/td><\/tr> PVC-coated metal<\/td> Connections to machinesFactory wiring<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Tape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to Select Cable Protection for Automotive Applications <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sealed or Open System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Location of Harness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Material Selection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n