How Do I Use Braided Sleeving in My Cable Management Project?

Braided sleeving is a fundamental item for cable and wire organization. It guards harnesses against heat, cold, moisture, UV, salt water, chemicals, and more. Wire loom can additionally be used to color code and identify wires, with some types available in a seemingly endless array of colors.

Speaking of seemingly endless, there are many applications where you can use cable sleeving. CableOrganizer® has detailed several below, along with products we recommend:

AUTOMOTIVE

Wires throughout every vehicle can benefit from expandable braided sleeving, for various types of protection. Flexo® PET is standard sleeving of polyethylene terephthalate used as a general wire cover. It can expand up to 150% and offers high tensile strength, plus cut, moisture, rot, chemical, and abrasion resistance. PET can also customize the look of wires in your classic car. It is one of many protective sleeves suitable for automotive applications. Door panel wires need cable cover that reduces noise and vibration, like Flexo® Noise Reduction. It too is expandable, plus resistant to chemicals, cuts, solvents, and abrasions. Its unique construction can minimize sounds from wires, tubes, and hoses in dashboards and similar places. You can also install F6® Quiet Noiseless Braided Sleeving directly over cables without disconnecting them, because of its split design. There are other sleeve types with targeted wire protection. Flexo® Rodent Resistant has properties that keep engine wires safe from groundhogs, mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, and other chewing creatures. Exhaust systems can benefit from high temperature sleeves, including Insultherm® Fiberglass Braided Sleeving and Spark Plug Boots. Volcano® Exhaust Sleeve is another, made of basalt fiber and structural paracord. It cures into place for extreme heat protection, plus shock, abrasion, and vibration resistance. Flexo® Brass Braid is expandable metal sleeving for both decorative and functional touches for brake lines and custom hoses — brass has its own natural germicidal and antimicrobial properties.

AUDIO AND VIDEO (A/V)

Audio and video applications are other prime candidates for braided sleeving, to keep cables safe, even from electronic interferences. Flexo® PET is an all-around reliable choice to create cable snakes. The Flexo F6® split-sleeve design is useful for cable breakouts. Flexo® Anti-Stat is carbon-infused, nylon sleeving that shields audio and video wires against static and electromagnetic interference. Flexo® Non-Skid is a specialty, expandable braided sleeve of high-friction PET that offers skid resistance for cables on studio flooring. Studio Key Wrap™ is a unique concealing and protective wrappable sleeve. It is reversible keyable vinyl, with blue on one side and green on the other, to be edited from film and video productions.

AVIATION

Aviation and aerospace-related applications need flame retardant sleeving to conform to safety and aviation standard specs. Advanced Engineering sleeving offers greater abrasion, chemical, and heat safeguards, than general purpose types. F6X® is a wrap sleeve made with genuine Nomex®, that can be placed over existing wires. It has a generous overlap and tracer to mark its maximum diameter. Clean Cut® Flame Retardant (FR) is expandable, has a flame inhibitor, and cuts fray-free with scissors. ThermaShield® products thrive in high temperature settings. They are constructed of an aluminized metallic heat shield over braided fiberglass insulation. They come in tube, convoluted, wrap, flat, and tape styles.

COLOR CODING

Solid and patterned braided sleeving can mark wires for both identification and to indicate a wire’s purpose. The Flexo® PET Ground Stripe, for example, classifies ground wires. Nitrox is color-coded for scuba hoses. Safety Stripe indicates caution should be taken around particular cords. Some color choices are fun and aesthetic too, with patterns like Superhero, Hip Hop, and Uptown Gold, setting the tone for your cable management projects.

ELECTRIC

Electrical Insulation sleeving can keep wires safer with an added layer of insulation, whether on small components or large-scale generators. It also gives them enhanced dielectric strength around bends. Braided fiberglass is combined with a vinyl, silicone, or acrylic coating, for benefits like heat protection, along with resistance to abrasion, cuts, acids, and solvents. The Flame Retardant Silicone Rubber Extruded Fiberglass Sleeving safeguards high voltage cable assemblies from high heat.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE

High voltage electric vehicle wires require special protection and color coding. They are often identified by orange sleeving — and sometimes blue. CableOrganizer® can help sleeve your wires if you are converting from a gas-powered to a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Flexo® PET and Flexo F6® are two options to cover hybrid vehicle cables. Battle Braid® provides heavier duty crush and abrasion protection, while F6® Battle Wrap® armors EV wires with a blend of F6® construction and Battle Braid® strength.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT

Although known for its ruggedness, heavy equipment has sensitive wiring, cables, and hoses that need special care. Abrasion resistant sleeving defends them against chemicals, moisture, rot, abrasion, UV, and crushing. Dura-Flex™ sleeving and nylon Dura Wrap™ with its hook and loop closure, each protect hoses against abrasion, UV damage, and ruptures. Flexo® Heavy Wall® has 50% bulkier PET to guard harnesses against friction. The flat filaments in Gorilla Sleeve® cushion hoses, cables, and wires against vibration. OVR Braid uses the same OEM yarns as overbraided heavy machinery harnesses, to provide very high abrasion and fire resistances.

HOME

Every wire in a person’s home is a braided sleeving candidate, for general protection, aesthetics, or both. Flexo® PET can tame wires on your floor or behind your stereo system, plus guard them from tiny toddler hands or pets. Flexo® Clean Cut cuts cleanly with scissors — a convenience if you don’t have a hot knife around the house. Flexo F6® is useful for longer computer and home entertainment cable runs, especially where breakouts are needed. It is semi-rigid and can be applied directly over existing harnesses by hand or with the F6® Installation Tool. Flexo® PET is additionally useful for miscellaneous non-wiring projects because of its ample color choices. People have used it in many craft projects, like accenting their pet’s collar or leash, decorating a keychain, making bracelets, dressing up a candle holder, fortifying the grip on a bag handle, or filling it with materials to create a sensory toy.

MARINE

Sleeving is a tool that protects and organizes cables, wires, hoses, and chains, exposed to fresh and salt water. Flexo® PET can be used in nautical settings because it dissipates moisture from assemblies, while resisting rot and fungus. Flexo® Heavy Wall Braided Sleeving is constructed of a dense, flexible, and expandable 15 mil PET, with an open weave that allows humidity a better escape route. It earned ratings from the American Boat and Yacht Council for the extra resistance it gives to cables, chains, and hoses. Flexo® Mylar is used in recreational marine applications to enhance fly fishing lures.

NETWORK AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data centers are best organized when cabling is arranged in long runs. Pros use Flexo® PET or Flexo F6®, which can be wrapped around existing wire harnesses and enable breakouts. The IT world also turns to Dura Wrap™, to cover large wire bundles and easily add or remove wires. Flexo® Wrap is another way to quickly organize oversized wire assemblies. Metal and shielding sleeving guards network wiring against EMI, RFI, and ESD. Flexo® Non-Skid is an important product for data centers too, to prevent trips over wiring.

OFFICE

The same cable covering products that work well in home workstations and data centers, are office wire organization essentials. Flexo® PET and Flexo F6® work for general wire protection tasks. Metal and shielding sleeving armors office network and telecommunications cables against “noise” like electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), and electrostatic discharge. Dura Race™ keeps wires on the floor covered and in place on rugs with a durable hook and loop closure.

SHIPPING AND STORAGE

Part Guard™ works great for shipping and storage functions. This lightweight and reusable sleeving slips over the item it protects, cutting to size with scissors. Part Guard™ does not dull sharp edging on parts. It comes in multiple colors to code and identify items.

TRIP AND FALL PROTECTION

Keeping cables neat and concealed in both home and work settings can reduce accidents. Dura Race™ affixes wires with a hook and loop system to certain carpets. Constructed of ballistic nylon, it comes in several color choices and cuts to size with scissors, to shield wires from chemicals, abrasion, and moisture. Flexo® Non-Skid is made of a high-friction polymer expanded braid to provide superior skid resistance.