Brady B-342: PermaSleeve Marker

B-342 PermaSleeve is a 3:1 irradiated polyolefin heat-shrink marker used for wire identification and insulation, printed by thermal transfer or by laser marking, with an operating temperature range of -55°C (-67°F) to +135°C (+275°F). The sheet's mark-permanence claim is conditional: B-342 meets AS-81531 and AS-5942 mark permanence only when printed with Brady Series R6600, R4300 or R6700 ribbons or with laser marking, so other print methods are outside what the sheet claims. Brady also states that all values shown are averages that "should not be used for specification purposes," so a customer writing a specification should be referred to Brady rather than quoted these numbers as guarantees.

Figure 1: Brady B-342 — PermaSleeve® 3:1 Military Heat-Shrink Polyolefin Tubing on defense aerospace wire harnessesField Application Photo

Orderable Part Numbers, Packaging & Distributor SKUs

Official Brady SKUs, roll dimensions, package quantities, list pricing, Grainger part numbers, and printer compatibility for B-342.

Extracted directly from Brady Technical Data Sheets to prevent real-world application failures and chemical degradation:

• UL approval: "B-342 is a UL Recognized Component to UL224 Extruded Insulated Tubing. See UL file E333786 for specific details."
• WEEE-RoHS: the sheet does not state a compliance status. It says only, "For information on the Weee-RoHS compliance status for a Brady Product go to one of the following websites:" and lists — In Canada: www.bradycanada.ca/weee-rohs; In Europe: www.bradyeurope.com/rohs; In Japan: www.brady.co.jp/products/labelsuse/rohs; All other regions: www.bradyid.com/weee-rohs
• Tubing qualification: "B342 PermaSleeve(TM) Markers are made from heat shrinkable tubing that is qualified to SAE AS23053/5 (Class 4)."
• Mark permanence is conditional on the print method: "B-342 PermaSleeve(TM) Markers meet the mark permanence requirements of AS-81531 and AS-5942 when printed with the Brady Series R6600, R4300, R6700 series thermal transfer ribbons and with laser marking." (The sheet prints a stray closing quotation mark at the end of this sentence with no opening quotation mark.)
• Flammability and smoke data are limited to white tubing only. Both rows of the physical properties table carry the qualifiers "Tested at an outside laboratory White Tubing only" (ASTM E162) and "Tested at an outside laboratory White tubing only" (ASTM E662). No flame spread or smoke density result is stated for any other color.
• Colors covered by the performance data are limited. The unlabeled paragraph sitting between the physical properties table and the performance properties table reads: "B342 white, yellow and other colors tested/printed with R4300 and R6600 Series thermal transfer ribbons. B342 black samples tested printed with R6700 white thermal transfer ribbon. B-342 white samples were also laser marked with a 10-watt fiber laser. Results are the same with all processes and ribbons unless stated otherwise. White, yellow, and black data listed below; other color data available upon request." Its scope is not tied to any single row; it is adjacent to and appears to govern the performance properties table that follows it.
• High service temperature results are not stated for all colors at all conditions. Black is given a result only at the 5 minutes at 500°F (260°C) condition; the 24 hours at 350°F (180°C) and 1000 hours at 267°F (130°C) cells state results for "White and yellow" only.
• Weatherability and UV light resistance results are stated for white and yellow only; no result is given for black or any other color in those rows.
• Solvent resistance differs by color and ribbon. The cell reads: "White and Yellow: No visible effect" and, separately, "Black: No visible effect to tubing, Solution 1 had Moderate print fade, print legible (R6700), Solution 2 had Slight print fade, print legible (R6700), Solution 3 & 4 had no visible effect (R6700)". The sheet does not identify what Solutions 1, 2, 3 and 4 are.
• Chemical resistance results are per print configuration and are not interchangeable. Four separate immersion tables are given (R4300, R6600, R6700 on black, and laser-marked white) and the same reagent produces different verdicts between them.
• Shelf life is conditional on storage: "Shelf life is five years from the date of receipt for this product as long as this product is stored in its original packaging in an environment at 32-95 degrees F (0-35 degrees C) per SAE AS23053/5."
• User responsibility for fitness of use: "It remains the responsibility of the user to assess the risk of using this product. We encourage customers to develop testing protocols that will qualify a product's fitness for use in their actual applications."
• Data may not be used as a specification: "Note: All values shown are averages and should not be used for specification purposes. Test data and test results contained in this document are for general information only and shall not be relied upon by Brady customers for designs and specifications, or be relied on as meeting specified performance criteria. Customers desiring to develop specifications or performance criteria for specific product applications should contact Brady for further information."
• Compliance information is second-hand: "Product compliance information is based upon information provided by suppliers of the raw materials used by Brady to manufacture this product or based on results of testing using recognized analytical methods performed by a third party, independent laboratory. As such, Brady makes no independent representations or warranties, express or implied, and assumes no liability in connection with the use of this information."
• Warranty is limited to replacement of defective product, is in lieu of any other warranty express or implied including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, does not extend to persons obtaining the product from the buyer, and excludes consequential damages.

ASTM Physical & Mechanical Properties

Standardized laboratory test data measured in accordance with ASTM D 1000, ASTM D 2979, and ASTM D 2671.

Thermal Transfer Ribbon Compatibility

Official Brady recommended ribbons engineered for maximum contrast, smear resistance, and UL certification compliance.

Chemical & Solvent Resistance Matrix

Standardized dip and rub immersion test observations across industrial fuels, oils, solvents, and cleaners.

Environmental & Aging Durability Testing

Verified Target Applications & Use Cases

• Wire identification and insulation purposes