Tool for fixing a textile sleeve about an elongate member to be protected and method of fixing a protective textile sleeve about an elongate member

A method of fixing a protective textile sleeve about an elongate member, comprising:

• providing the protective textile sleeve having an inner surface configured to bound an inner cavity;
• disposing the elongate member within the inner cavity;
• providing a clamp with opposed clamp members, each clamp member having a planar clamp surface, wherein the opposed clamp members each have a plurality of heating members spaced apart from each other;
• clamping at least a portion of the protective textile sleeve about the elongate member with the opposed clamp members, wherein during the clamping, each of the heating members move independently relative to each other to cause each of the opposed planar clamp surfaces to become non-planar clamp surfaces by automatically adjusting and substantially conforming to an arcuate shape and contour of an outer surface of the sleeve;
• and
• heating the clamping surfaces with the heating members and bonding the inner surface to at least another portion of the textile sleeve and/or to the elongate member.