Etched Foil Heaters

Etched Foil Heaters

 

Etched Foil Heater is one of several types of flexible heaters and is intended for applications that demand compact design with superior thermal management. Therm-x has expertise in the design and manufacturing of Etched Foil flexible heaters made of thin flexible heating elements. The products can be easily attached to the contours of diversely shaped objects for achieving superior thermal efficiencies. Both standard and custom configurations are available to meet all application requirements. High quality silicon rubber is coated on the surface of etched foil to ensure electrical insulation and ingression protection of the heater. The end products are proven to have excellent heat conduction or transfer property to achieve uniform heat distribution.

Features and Benefits of Etched Foil Heaters

Our Etched Foil Heater has certain distinct advantages and is highly complementary to other flexible heaters made with resistance wires, therefore, finds its unique demands in applications.

  • Ultra-thin profile has unique advantage in heating small packages efficiently and enables reliable conformance to curved and irregular surfaces. The overall thickness is only 0.005", which is much thinner than other flexible heaters based on resistance wires
  • The low profile is beneficial in fitting within component clearances or gaps and does not require changes in the customer's equipment.
  • Extremely flexible and soft with reasonably small bending radius as tight as 0.25". The flexibility and plasticity allow easy fit into restricted spaces, wrap around complex shapes, conform around tight corners, and sharp edges etc.
  • The etched metal or alloy heating element is flat and has greater contact area against the object to be heated. Therefore, Etched Foil Heaters exhibit superior heat conduction and energy saving.
  • High watt-density enables rapid heat up.
  • Choices of surface materials, etched foil can be laminated with either silicone rubber or Kapton® grade polyimide.
  • Silicone rubber Etched Foil Heaters have a maximum exposure temperature up to 450°F (232°C) and are highly resistant to many chemicals and moisture, ideal for corrosive environment and weather conditions.
  • Polyimide Etched Foil heaters have a maximum exposure temperature up to 392°F (200°C) and the very high dielectric strength when higher voltage must be applied.

Capabilities

Etched Foil Heaters can be custom designed and made to meet customer's special and unique requirements. Here are examples of our capabilities for various customization solutions:

  • Extreme thin profiles, 5.5 mil (0.0055") and 10 mil (0.010") in thickness.
  • Cut to any shape, dimension up to 22" x 30" (559mm x 762mm).
  • Maximum watt density 15 watts/in2 (0.023 watts/mm2).
  • Choice of outer materials: polyimide film or silicone rubber, depending on application environment and voltage. Heaters can also be built with materials of customer's choice.
  • Attachment options, pressure-sensitive backing (PSA) or epoxies. Also, these heaters can be pre-attached to a surface on your equipment where heat is needed.
  • Fuses, sensors, thermostat, fittings etc. can be pre-installed on the Etched Foil Heaters as a packaged heating system.
  • Zone heating options available: single zone, multi-zone, and dual-elements.
  • Mechanical and electronic temperature and current controls can be provided for precision heating and temperature maintenance.

Applications of Etched Foil Flexible Heaters

Etched Foil Heaters are ideal for industries that require more advanced thermal management or surface heating applications under limited thickness installations: