Heat Shrink Tubing: Medical Grade vs. Industrial Grade

Heat shrink tubing is widely used in many modern manufacturing applications across a multitude of industries. With the rapid pace of technological advancement in the medical industry, it is important to understand the critical distinctions and differences between standard industrial-grade heat shrink tubing, or single wall tubing (PVC heat shrink tubing or TE RAYCHEM RNF-100 series, for example), and medical-grade heat shrink tubing intended for medical applications.

  Medical Grade Heat Shrink Tubing Industrial Grade Heat Shrink Tubing
Comparison Products

 

TE Raychem MT-LWA

Medical Grade Heat Shrink

 

TE Raychem RNF-100

Industrial Grade Cut Heat Shrink Tubing

Design & Materials of Construction
Biocompatability Testing USP Class VI Not applicable
Material Traceability All raw material sources strictly controlled, tracked and US-sourced Lot traceability & manufacturing certifications
Peeling Properties Designed to peel along axis "Peel inhibitors" added to compound
Shrink Ratio 2:1 or 3:1 - available for wider range of uses in single product 2:1 only
Manufacturing & Quality Control
Manufacturing Conditions USP Class VI - one manufacturing location in the U.S. Industrial manufacturing setting, U.S. and off-shore
Press Control "No Change Notice" Clause Not applicable
Uniform Cross Linking Dimensional control and controlled cross-linking process to reduce variability and make product easier to peel Dimensional control only
Packaging Materials Plastic bags and spools to ensure no contaminants May contact cardboard materials and cause FOD (Foreign Object Damage) issues
Processing Methods Latex-free processing with no heavy metals present Not applicable
Clarity Consistency Lot-controlled clarity consistency Not applicable - may lead to laser welding issues in medical applications
Customization Custom-sizing easily achieved Large volumes required for customization due to infrastructure costs

While both Medical Grade and Industrial Grade heat shrink tubing can be based upon similar polymerized materials at the macromolecular level, key differences in design and material formulation, as well as manufacturing differences, can result in drastically different properties and fit-for-purpose characteristics. Taken together the much more stringent quality control and traceability (amongst other distinctions) that is characteristic in Medical Grade heat shrink have now enabled the use of previously Industrial-only products into the much more demanding world of health-related applications.

For questions on selecting the right heat shrink tubing for your applications, contact Lapp Tannehill or chat with us online.  

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