Flexible heaters offer the advantage of durability and versatility and are useful applications in a variety of industries. Consequently, custom flexible heater designs can match use-case requirements for specific commercial and industrial applications while meeting relevant industry regulatory requirements.
What is a Flexible Heater?
Flexible heater solutions consist of various heating technologies per their use. They can be screen-printed, chemically etched or wire wound and incorporate a construction type that permits bending and flexing, allowing them to match a given surface.
Various materials give these designs adaptability, including silicone rubber, aluminum foil, polyester, mica and Kapton®. These materials also introduce various useful attributes, including efficiency, rugged reliability and resistance to chemicals and moisture while allowing for custom solutions ranging from multiple circuits and watt densities to various shapes, sizes and thicknesses.
Open Coil Designs
Among the more common flexible heater solutions, these open coil designs can incorporate nickel/chrome or iron-based alloys and feature heat control. They can also take ceramic or mica forms while adopting a wide variety of voltages and wire gauges. Typical features include a thermal fuse, thermostat and a one-resistance-coil minimum.
Foil Heaters
Foil heaters are useful for low moisture applications in temperatures lower than 600°F without the need for complex mounting. Foil heaters can offer uniform or concentrated heating configuration and provide a long-lasting as well as durable, reliable and cost-effective solution.
Fiberglass Rope Heating Solutions
A fiberglass rope flexible heating solution incorporates a core material surrounded by a helically wrapped resistance wire. These heaters represent a cost-effective, long-lasting and high-temperature-resistant solution for a range of applications, including testing and vehicle applications and other industrial applications.
Not only are flexible heater solutions adaptable to multiple geometric applications, but they also provide for custom designs that offer precise temperature control, efficiency and rugged durability and resistance to temperatures, chemicals and moisture.
