Here, at CableOrganizer®, we sell tons of wire loom, which people also refer to as braided sleeving, split braided sleeving, cable sleeving, convoluted tubing, and other similar terms. Whether it is for industrial use or a simple "back of the computer" application, one of the most common questions that arise is: “How do I terminate it?”
While we have heard all kinds of ideas ranging from electrical tape to staples, we've come up with a few suggestions below that seem reasonable for most uses.
First and foremost, it is important to be a bit picky during your wire loom or braided sleeving selection process. While material is important, depending on what the application will be exposed to, the size is just as important — if not more. Try to select a size that will have a snug fit over your cables, to avoid a lot of empty room within the loom.
Once your size is correctly selected (or even if you have a pre-installed run), your first step is to look at the length of your run, determining if your loom will slide over it. If that is the case, our first suggestion is cable ties. Possibly the most popular way to terminate wire loom or even braided sleeving, cable ties — especially releasable cable ties — are widely used, allowing you to adjust your terminations. Apply cable ties at both ends of your cable run and throughout as well; just enough to prevent your wire loom from sliding.
Another popular method of termination is using heat shrink. Although the installation of heat shrink can be a bit more complicated, as far as the work involved with getting this done, this solution will probably provide you with the most prolific termination. Using 6" pieces of heat shrink should be more than sufficient to secure the ends of your wire loom or braided sleeving run. Bring your heat gun close to make sure the heat shrink evenly grips to the wire loom, your wires or connectors. You may like to opt for an adhesive-lined variety, to provide an even greater watertight and secure seal. The adhesive, which melts as the tubing shrinks, is especially helpful in places where moisture resistance is needed. Be particularly careful if you are not using heat resistant wire loom, as your heat source can damage the wire loom.
Even if you use a simple electrical tape, we encourage you to get creative with your wire loom and braided sleeving terminations. We’d love it if you’d share your experiences with us — please send us pictures or videos of your terminations at sales@cableorganizer.com.
