Sleeve

Braided sleeve is used in many industries that require a tube-like structure. These don’t even need to be a circular tube, as the sleeve will conform to any shape that you slide it over. Each sleeve has a nominal size where the weave is at a 45 deg angle, however the sleeve can stretch and shrink to give it a range of diameters.

For example, a 3k carbon sleeve can come with a nominal diameter of 50mm yet has a range from 19-57mm. If you force the sleeve to its smallest diameter (19mm) the sleeve will extend in length and the fibers will run straighter along the shaft. Otherwise, if you increase the diameter of the sleeve to 57mm, the sleeve will shorten and the fibers will be running around the diameter of the tube. Using this feature, you can purposely change the properties of your part by selecting sleeves that are not necessarily using their nominal diameter!