Reader challenge: 6mm flexible tubing with tight tolerance (non-medical)
When Interplas Insights readers contact us with a challenge, we endeavour to find a solution from our network. Recently a reader contacted us with a challenge for an electrical application. Check out the brief below, and if you can help, reach out to David Gray (david.gray@rapidnews.com) to be connected with the reader.
Background
A reader is developing a product which features a 1 mm, multi-stranded copper wire with a jacket, giving a total diameter of 6 mm.
Challenges
The tubing requirements include:
- Flexible – material selection for similar products is silicone 80 Shore A;
- The tubing will be fixed belt-like around the targeted conductor, so the bend radius or the ability to wrap around is important;
- Tight extrusion tolerances: similar products have been able to accept +/- 0.2 mm, but the nature of this project calls for a much tighter specification;
- As it is not a medical application, cleanroom manufacturing (and the associated costs) are not required.
The request
Which manufacturing process and materials choice are best suited to the challenges mentioned above - extrusion is the likely option, but who can handle the tolerances required outside of cleanroom manufacturers? Are there other methods? And who are the recommended providers?