1. Install using sleeve-on technique

First, ensure that pipes are clean and dry before installing. As our ArmaFlex^® insulation tubes are made from flexible elastomeric foam material, you can easily slip it through the pipes during application. Always push the material through as pulling the ArmaFlex insulation tubes along the pipe will tear the material.

2. Installing over bends

Although the sleeve-on technqiue is convenient, it is best used on straight pipes or bends where the pipe angle is mild. Installers should gently push the material around the pipe and avoid pulling to prevent the insulation material from tearing.

If the sleeve-on technique is used on sharper bends, the insulation material could kink at the throat of the bend, reducing the insulation thickness in that area. This compression could lead to condensation occuring which would damage equipment, especially in cold applications. If tubes with self-adhesive seals are used along sharp bends, the seam around the bend could come apart. 

To install ArmaFlex tubes over bends, installers can use the ArmaFlex cutting template which is conveniently printed on every ArmaFlex tube carton for installers to use on-site. The cutting template can assist in cutting bends at 90° angle, or a 45° angle and segment bends with middle parts.

Applying adhesives on ArmaFlex

Remember to apply a thin and even coat of ArmaFlex adhesive on both surfaces. Allow the adhesive to tack dry before pressing both surfaces together firmly. The ends of the tube should also be secured to the pipe by applying adhesive to the entire circumference, in a width at least equal to the insulation thickness. Seams should always be glued under compression.

Contact adhesives are recommended for elastomeric foam insulation materials such as ArmaFlex because they develop their maximum adhesive force when slightly tacky. To check if the surfaces are ready to be joined together, use your fingernail to test the surface. If the adhesive sticks to the fingernail, it means it needs more time to dry. If the fingernail comes away dry, it is ready to be joined together.