Description/Definition: Silicone Heating Pads are rugged, yet thin, lightweight and flexible heaters. Use of these heaters is limited only by the imagination. Heat can be put where it is needed. These silicone heaters improve heat transfer, speed warm ups, and decrease wattage requirements. in any application. Silicone resin body holds a fiberglass nichrome heater with even heat distribution.

A flexible heaters provides outstanding performance in applications up to 450°F under a variety of operating conditions.

Properly applied silicone rubber heater life routinely exceeds 10 years. Silicone rubber has a high dielectric strength and is flame retardant and non-toxic.

Design versatility permits special heat profiles allowing zones of higher or lower heat concentration as needed. Their flexible construction makes them very easy to install on a variety of surfaces.

Silicone Rubber Heaters can be mounted to flat or curved surfaces. They are not affected by vibration, flexing or repeated mechanical shock.

Fiberglass-reinforced silicone rubber gives the heater dimensional stability without sacrificing flexibility. Because very little material separates the element from the part, heat transfer is rapid and efficient. The silicone rubber heaters are constructed with a wire-wound element or an etched foil element. The heater construction creates a very thin heater allowing it to fit applications where space is limited.

Silicone rubber heaters with wire-wound elements provide an excellent source for uniform heat especially on challenging shapes or applications with flexing or vibration.

The wire wound element consists of high temperature resistance wire wound around a fiberglass core for added support and flexibility while still allowing for expansion and contraction during heat up and cool down.

The etched foil heater has exceptional heat transfer compared to wire wound elements, due to its large flat surface area. It can deliver more uniform heat profiles with higher watt densities, providing longer operating heater life. It can also be zoned with distributed wattage or separate heating circuits to compensate for load variations. The etched foil process is recommended for small size heaters in large quantities.

In either construction, the element is laid out in a computer designed pattern to provide maximum heat transfer and temperature uniformity. After the element is laid out, it is vulcanized between two sheets of silicone rubber until they become one. The silicone rubber sheets also have a layer of fiberglass for added strength and tear resistance. The same vulcanization process is used to attach the power leads and cord sets to the heater windings.

Operating conditions include vacuum applications, high moisture areas and outdoor applications. Silicone rubber heaters are also used in applications involving oils, solvents, radiation and environmental conditions.

Holes and cutouts in the surface of a silicone rubber heater can generally be placed anywhere in the heater assembly. Holes and cutouts can be used to allow space for bolts, nuts, temperature sensors, brackets, etc. For most holes and cutouts, a detailed drawing will be required for quoting or ordering.

Silicone Rubber Heaters Applications:

• Freeze protection and condensation prevention for many types of instrumentation and equipment
• Medical equipment including blood analyzers and test tube heaters
• Exhaust gas pre-heating for DPF regeneration
• Curing of plastic laminates
• Photo processing equipment
• Semiconductor processing equipment
• Computer peripherals such as laser printers"