Five Descriptors You Need to Understand When Choosing Spiral Tubing

When you order spiral tubing to protect custom wiring or for any other applications, you are going to run into several descriptors of the tubing. In most cases, manufacturers refer to their spiral tubing in terms of its wall thickness, tube dimensions, pitch and bundle diameters. To ensure you order the right spiral tubing for your job, you need to understand these concepts. Here's a closer look at what they mean.

1. Wall Thickness

Wall thickness refers to the thickness of the material used to make your spiral tubing. In tight spaces, you may need a thin wall. However, in other cases where the cord or whatever you are encasing in the spiral tube needs a lot of protection, you may want to opt for a thick wall.

2. Tube Inner Dimensions

The tube inner dimensions are sometimes abbreviated as tube I.D. This refers to the circumference of the inside of the tube. If you use a flexible, precise tape measure to measure the circumference of your wire or cord, the spiral tubing you buy must have an inner dimension that is larger than that measurement.

3. Tube Outer Dimensions

Tube outer dimensions, often shortened to tube O.D., refers to the circumference of the spiral tubing from the outside. The difference between the I.D. and the O.D. is the thickness of the wall. Ultimately, the place in which you are placing the spiral tubing must be large enough to accommodate the tube's outer dimensions. If the tube you are looking at won't fit in the space you have available, you need to choose a smaller outer dimension, without sacrificing the inner dimensions you need to accommodate your wire or cord.

4. Pitch

If you placed the spiral tubing flat on a surface, the pitch refers to the distance from one side of the tube to the other. Essentially, the pitch constitutes the width of one half of a spiral. Depending on what you are using the spiral tubing for, you may want to investigate the best pitch for your circumstances. For example, in you are trying to use the spiral tubing to prevent heat transfer, you may want to compare how one pitch measures up to another pitch before making your final decision about which type of tubing you want.   

5. Bundle Diameter

The bundle diameter refers to the maximum diameter the bundle you are putting into the spiral tubing can have. Depending on what you are encasing, you may have to choose a slightly more or less capacious bundle diameter. For example, you may be able to bundle together some types of cords more tightly than others.

For more information, contact companies like Trans Vent Spiral Tubing.

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