In places where there is a sharp change in the diameter of the iPhone power cord, stress concentration is most observed during its operation (bending, stretching). As a result, the insulation in these sections wears out faster or even the integrity of the product is completely lost.
To extend the life of your iPhone's power cord, you need to take protective measures at the first sign of damage. For example, insulate a potentially weak point on the cord with insulating tape.
However, there is an easier and more reliable way to protect your iPhone's power cord using heat shrink tubing. Coping with such a task is not difficult for any person. The main thing is to choose the correct diameter of the heat shrink.
How to Reinforce iPhone Power Cord with Heat Shrink Tube
1. In this case, the first step is very important. It is necessary, as noted above, to select the optimal diameter of the heat-shrinkable tube. It should not be too large, because then the heat shrink will not tightly wrap around the cord and the protective effect (electrical insulation and mechanical) will not be reliable and durable enough.
With a small diameter of thermal shrinkage, it may burst at the moment of its tension to the largest section or during the shrinkage process after heating. The length of the tube is determined primarily by the operating conditions of the iPhone power cord. In many cases, a length of 50 mm or slightly more will be sufficient.
2. With extreme care, so as not to damage it, pull the cambric onto the cord and temporarily stop it with your fingers or insulating tape. Then we place the tube over a nearby source of hot heat. This could be a stove burner running on electricity or gas, a lighter or matches, a gas burner or a hair dryer.
When heating the heat-shrinkable tube, extreme caution must be exercised: after all, it, like the power cord, can become charred from excessively high temperatures, not to mention open fire, and become unsuitable for anything. In order for the process to proceed normally, hot convection air rising above the fire is sufficient.
3. When exposed to high temperatures (75-110 degrees Celsius), the heat shrink begins to shrink in the transverse direction several times (from two to six), repeating in detail the shape of the iPhone power cord. By accurately selecting the diameter of the tube and maintaining the temperature conditions, the fit is absolutely tight and durable.
Some clarifications and comments
The heat-shrinkable tubes discussed here are also known under other names: heat-shrinkable tubes, heat-shrinkable tubes, heat-shrinkable tubes, HERE tubes, etc.
In order to correctly select the diameter of a heat-shrinkable cambric, you must follow two simple rules:
1.The smallest cross-section of the power cord or any other wire that needs to be reinforced with heat-shrinkable tubing must be at least 10% greater than the minimum internal cross-section of the maximum shrinkable material after it has completely cooled.
2. The largest cross-section of the wire that must be shrink-wrapped must be 10% or more greater than the internal cross-section of the heat-shrinkable material before use.
Since heat-shrinkable tubes are available in different colors, you can additionally solve another important problem with their help: color marking of wires. This will allow you to quickly find the cord or wire you need at the moment.
