Flexible heaters deliver heat directly to the appropriate places. They can bend and be wrapped around surfaces to provide heat to particular parts of a household or building. Flexible heaters are lightweight, and they do not interfere with moving parts in applications making them convenient and efficient.
Flexible heaters can be made of different materials and come in a variety of designs. These include silicone rubber heaters, polyimide Kapton heaters, carbon-printed heaters, and transparent materials. They are also strong enough to tolerate exposure to chemicals and moisture.
But with all that being said, do you need to consider purchasing one? Don’t worry. This article discusses types of flexible heaters and their mounting techniques. It also explains the reasons why you should purchase a flexible heater to help you decide. So just keep on reading.
What Is a Flexible Heater?
A flexible heater is a wire wound, chemically etched, or screen-printed heater. It can be bent or flexed to fit the curves of the surface that has to be heated. A flexible heater is a tool that can mold to the surface that needs to be heated.
Flexible heaters offer characteristics that make them resistant to chemicals and moisture. As well as being durable, dependable, accurate, and efficient
These flexible heating elements have many industrial, commercial, and military uses. It is mostly used where dependability, resistance to deterioration, and flexibility are crucial.
Types of Flexible Heaters
Polyimide or Kapton
A lightweight polymer film with outstanding tensile strength is called a polyimide Kapton heater. Some benefits of a polyimide Kapton heater are excellent physical and electrical qualities. Also, most substances, including oils, solvents, acids, and bases, are not a problem.
Silicone Rubber Heaters
An etched circuit or wire-wrapped heating element is placed between fiberglass-reinforced silicone rubber. Some benefits of silicone Rubber heaters are
- Can be used where varied Watt densities are required
- Available in a variety of geometries, including flat, molded-to-shape, and spiral wrap
- Silicone rubber offers the best dimensional stability and is extremely moisture and chemical-resistant
- Using an RTV to vulcanize the metal, heaters can be placed directly on it.
Screen Printed Heaters
A particular ink is a screen printed onto a flexible substrate, such as polyester (PET). This helps to create screen-printed heaters. These warmers are used frequently in the automotive sector. They help to prevent ice from forming on the side view mirrors of vehicles, buses, and lorries.
Types of Flexible Heater Mountings
Flexible heaters are mounted using several mounting techniques, as follows:
- PSA mountings: Flexible heater PSA mountings can be used on clean, flat surfaces or somewhat curved surfaces. It is the quickest and most affordable mounting option available.
- Factory Vulcanized: Factory vulcanized mountings attach the flexible heater to the component. The flexible heater firmly bonds to the element. Metal surfaces like stainless steel and anodized aluminum are appropriate for factory vulcanized mounting.
- Silicone Room-Temperature Vulcanizing: The flexible heater is attached to a surface using a silicone adhesive. The silicon adhesive must have ambient humidity and room temperature cured. It has greater flexibility and is immune to dampness, mold, mildew, and harsh weather.
- Removable Heater Mounting Attachments: For flexible heaters that will be mounted to parts that could have sharp cuts or rough edges. removable mounting attachments are frequently used. These mountings could include nylon straps, silicone straps, and grommets.
The Benefits of Buying a Flexible Heater
The following applications of flexible heaters are reasons why you should purchase a flexible heater.
1. It Provides Comfort and Health Benefits
Flexible heaters are made to make people’s surroundings more pleasant. a custom flexible heater can be installed in heated automobile and airplane seats. This will help passengers feel cozy and at ease while traveling. They can also be incorporated into items like blankets. They can also be added to heating pads for therapeutic purposes, comfort, or the treatment of injuries.
Flexible heaters will also be used in incubators for newborns and premature infants in other applications. By providing the right conditions for survival, the constant, low warmth produced can aid in the treatment of ill babies.
2. It Can Be Used To Protect Screens and Sensors In Electronics
Flexible heaters prevent the screen or sensor from getting too hot because doing so could damage the electronics.
The sensor, such as those used in warehouse inventory scanners and credit card scanners, may continue to detect codes and magnetic stripes. They will be without signal failure. This is because of the warmth and continuous steady temperature.
3. It Can Be Used in Manufacturing for Gluing and Heat Sealing
A flexible heating element will be employed in a variety of applications. Such as when a producer needs a technique to finish a product with glue, sealer, laminate, or bonding agent that requires heat to cure or seal it into place.
4. Proper Temperature for Batteries
Controlling the operation of electronics and batteries in below-freezing temperatures is necessary. This is one of the most common uses for flexible heaters.
Freezing temperatures can harm interior electronic components. The freezing temperatures can cause signals from semiconductors and circuits to be interrupted. This can lead to applications failing.
The battery chemistry may become unstable due to the environment’s high cold. This can result in a reduction in battery life and functioning.
Batteries are used in applications, such as those involving airplane equipment, and medical equipment. A flexible heater guarantees the optimum working temperature for batteries.
5. Helps To Control Thermal Expansion
Components that are difficult to access and repair can benefit from better thermal management from a flexible heater.
An airplane or sea vessel moves into colder locations, these heaters help keep parts and components at a stable, warm temperature. This is so that there won’t be extreme expansion and retraction problems when these boats subsequently move into warmer climates.
The thermal heater helps extend the life cycle of the part. It does this by reducing early fatigue and increased wear and tear by managing thermal expansion and retraction.
6. It Helps Prevent Fogging on Lenses and Mirrors
Lenses are used in a variety of sectors for various tasks in both indoor and outdoor settings. Equipment with night vision may be used in military applications to detect enemy activity in dangerous settings. Security cameras and automobile mirrors are a few additional applications for lenses and mirrors.
Fog and mist can build on the equipment’s surface when these mirrors and lenses are exposed to a range of humidity and moisture levels. This makes the application ineffective.
A flexible heater defogger might be a bendable warmer inserted right into the gadget. To remove the moisture and stop the lens and sensor from fogging up, it keeps the surface heated. It can be used in both stationary and moving parts of the equipment to ensure that it keeps operating at a safe level.
Conclusion
Flexible heaters are versatile heating elements that have a wide range of uses. This necessitates the need to have one. The detailed explanation of flexible heaters in this article can help you choose the size and material for your flexible heater.
