The eyelet does slide between the laminate at the buss bar location, quite easily. You then rivet it in place.

You don't have to separate it at all, the laminate is not sealed at the buss bar location, neither is the flexwatt design.

If you have the THG Heat Tape, and are using the old style clips, you can retrofit to the rivets very easily. Just order new wire sets from Rich at RBI, trim you connection end to remove and clip crimping, punch the holes, and rivet up.

The rivet connection does NOT work with the Calorique flexwatt product, the buss bar is too narrow.

The insulating tape is also super low profile, inexpensive (it is included in each wire set) and the asphalt-y adhesive fuses together where tape and tape touch. The tape can be trimmed with regular scissors.