SAE AS23053 | M23053 (AMS DTL23053) Heat Shrinkable Tubing

SAE AS23053 (M23053) tubing is the standard for all things heat shrinkable tubing.  The M23053 tubing is widely used in the military, aerospace, and commercial markets.  There are many slant sheets cover insulation types such as Polyolefin, Fluoroelastomer, Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene, Neoprene, Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF – Kynar), Viton, and PVC.  These insulations cover every temperature from 105C to 250C.  

Heat shrinkable tubing is providing at an expanded inside diameter and then shrinks when heat is applied.  Different materials require different shrink temperatures and will result in different shrink ratios.  Check out the SEA Tubing Wizard (link here) to sort through all the variations.  The M23053 heat shrinkable tubing is an outstanding way to bundle wires, provide mechanical protection, resist moisture, handle extreme temperatures, and to provide strain relief.  

Tips of the trade:  Did you know you can use M23053/4 dual wall product to simulate higher shrink ratios?  Sure, it is rated for a 2:1 shrink due to the Polyolefin but, in fact, you can achieve higher shrink ratios due to the inner encapsulate or adhesive.  Dual wall product can also be used to make small “Y” transitions by 

  1. insert your wires into one end of the tubing
  2. separate them at the other end
  3. heat the tubing up to flow the inner material
  4. press the tubing together with needle nose pliers

and now you have an economical “Y” transition without having to buy a molded shape.  A common issue with the highest temperature M23053/11 and M23053/12 Teflon tubing is a lack of shrink when heat is applied.  This is very common when using substandard heat guns that don’t provide the necessary heat.  SEA is a leading stocking distributor of the finest heat guns available within the Steinel product line.  The Steinel heat gun uses ceramic heating elements that won’t burn out, overheat, and provide extreme temperature-controlled high heat settings.  If you want to make an abrasion-resistant cable marker then it takes two parts.  Have your M23053/5 material marked to your specification and then place a piece of M23053/8 material over it to provide the necessary abrasion resistance offered by the Kynar product.  When choosing M23053 sizes, you will want to ensure the product is able to shrink at least 60% in order to achieve a reasonable level of wall thickness after shrinkage.

Many types of M23053 tubing can be marked to your specifications.  This includes part numbers, images, bar codes, etc.  Almost anything can be printed with our Sumitomo or TE printers.  SEA is also able to cut tubing to your specification or provide you with the marking and cutting equipment should your needs demand in house kitting.  

Please see the M23053 part number breakdown below to understand the spec and remember to visit our Tubing Wire Wizard for more details.