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Thick
Film Heaters
Watlow layers
thick film resistor and
dielectric materials on
quartz, stainless steel
and ceramic substrates
to produce high performance
industrial heaters. The
thick film heaters provide
very fast temperature response
and uniformity on a low-profile
heater. Thick film heaters
are ideal for applications
where space is limited,
where conventional heaters
can't be used, when heat
output needs vary across
the surface, or in ultra-clean
or aggressive chemical
applications. |
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Application Guide
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Maximum Operating Temperatures
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430 Stainless steel
radiant
conduction
immersion |
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550°C (1022°F)
550°C (1022°F)
150°C (302°F)
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Aluminum oxide
radiant
conduction |
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550°C (1022°F)
550°C (1022°F)
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Aluminum nitride
conduction |
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300°C (572°F)
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Quartz
radiant
immersion
conduction |
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400°C (752°F)
150°C (302°F)
400°C (752°F)
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Applications
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Ultra pure aggressive chemicals
Large panel processing
Analytical equipment
Foodservice equipment
Packaging sealing equipment
Life science sterilizers and GC/mass spectroscopy
Semiconductor wafer processing equipment
Plastics hot runner nozzles and manifolds
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Thermal Uniformity and Fast Response
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Series 400 Stainless Steel
Thick film on stainless steel provides low profile heating with the ability to be laser cut or machined to fit any CAD-generated, two dimensional shape. |
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Watlow's new thick film heaters on 300 and 400 series stainless steel are ideal for use in many applications where fast response and uniformity are essential. This high-performance heater uses thick film technology to provide maximum temperature response in a compact package. Thick film on stainless steel provides a low-profile heater that has the ability to be laser cut or machined to fit any CAD-generated, two-dimensional shape. Due to the direct surface contact, these thick film heaters ensure greater heat transfer through thermally stable and inexpensive substrates. |
The heaters can be applied in areas where space is at a premium or where conventional heaters cannot be used because the voltage and wattage combination precludes using other types of resistive heaters. Because of the unique nature of thick film circuit, this heater can be designed to vary heat output across the entire surface. This feature will correct virtually any temperature uniformity problem that current designs may be generating.
Watlow's thick film heaters are manufactured to meet the requirements of NEC codes. UL ® and CSA certifications are pending. |
FEATURES |
BENEFITS |
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- Up to 480 volts, three-phase
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- Fast response to power input due to low thermal mass
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- 932°F (500°C) maximum substrate temperature
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- Potential to improve product quality and yield
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- Watt densities: 20 W/in 2 for open air applications, 35 W/in 2 for clamp-on applications, 175 W/in 2 for immersion applications
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- Precise, repeatable wattage distribution puts the heat where needed
- Capable of extremely uniform temperature distribution utilizing infrared thermal scanning technology and finite element analysis
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- Termination options include contact pad, stud, soldered or welded lead/connector
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- Produce strong, trouble-free connections
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- Bonded RTD, thermistors and thermocouples
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- Inhibits moisture penetration
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- Corrosion resistant stainless steel heating surface
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- Glass film material eliminates moisture and has low current leakage
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- Ideal for applications with limited space
- Can be designed to fit around mounting holes, notches, sensors, etc.
- Option to configure as an in-line heater
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| Applications |
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Semiconductor: chemical heating, flat panel manufacturing
Life sciences: thermal cycling, sterilizers
Aerospace
Analytical equipment: gas chromatography, spectroscopy
Constant temperature baths
Food equipment: steam tables, warewashing, food processing
Packaging: seal bars, seal rams
General equipment: fast prototyping
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| Stability and Fast Response |
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Ceramic
Ceramic substrates provide low thermal expansion, high temperature tolerance, low dielectric constant, rigidity and dimensional stability for thick film applications. |
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Thick Film on Ceramics Offers Thermal Stability and Fast Response
Watlow's new thick film heaters are now available using an assortment of ceramic materials as the base substrate. This high performance heater uses thick film technology to provide maximum temperature response in a compact package. Ceramics provide low thermal expansion, a high temperature tolerance, a lower dielectric constant, rigidity and dimensional stability; making it a preferred substrate for many applications.
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Thick film on ceramic substrates provides a low-profile heater that can be special ordered to fit any CAD-generated, two-dimensional shapes. Due to the direct surface contact, these thick film heaters ensure greater heat transfer through the thermally stable ceramic substrates. The bottom of this page includes a description of each ceramic substrate available for thick film applications.
Ceramic substrates are mainly composed of powdered metal oxides or nitrides combined with glass or frit particles. The mix of these materials is varied to generate a range of physical properties. The mixture is shaped into its desired form by either tape casting, powder pressing, roll compacting, or extrusion, and then sintered in to form a hard crystalline structure.
Thick film heaters on ceramics can be applied in areas where space is at a premium or where conventional heaters cannot be used due to the voltage and wattage combination preventing the usage of other types of resistive heaters. Because of the unique nature of thick film circuit, this heater can be designed to vary heat output across the entire surface. This feature will correct virtually any temperature uniformity problems a current design is generating.
Watlow's thick film heaters are manufactured to meet the requirements of NEC codes with UL® and CSA. Certifications are pending. |
FEATURES |
BENEFITS |
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- Fast response to power input due to low thermal mass
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- 932°F (500°C) maximum substrate temperature
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- Provide uniform heat with see-through option
- Capable of extremely uniform temperature distribution utilizing infrared thermal scanning technology and finite element analysis
- Improve process quality and yield
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- Watt densities: 20 W/in 2 for open air applications, 50 W/in 2 for clamp-on applications, 175 W/in 2 for immersion applications
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- Precise, repeatable wattage distribution places heat directly where required
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- Termination options include contact pad, epoxied, soldered or welded lead connector
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- Substrate material offers excellent corrosion resistance
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- Bonded RTD, epoxied thermistors, attached thermocouples plus full control integration
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- Low profile package fits into tight spaces
- Able to design heater around existing mounting holes, notches, sensors, etc.
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- Thermally stable ceramic heating surface
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- Moisture resistant glass material eliminates moisture problems and has low current leakage
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| Applications |
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Semiconductor: Susceptor plates, integrated circuits
Life science: Thermal cycling, sample analysis
Digital printing and laser copying
Analytical equipment: Gas chromatography and spectroscopy
Packaging: Seal bars, seal rams
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| Ceramic Substrates |
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Alumina (A 2 O 3 ) - Alumina is the most widely used substrate material due to availability, relatively low cost and stable physical properties. This ceramic material is easy to fabricate into a range of shapes while remaining strong at high temperatures and is available in a variety of purity levels.
Aluminum Nitride (AlN) - This material has high thermal conductivity making it an excellent choice where fast response or high levels of uniformity are required. Aluminum nitride is costly to fabricate due to high temperature atmosphere required for firing requirements and material costs.
Beryllium Oxide (BeO) - This material has the highest thermal conductivity available and has excellent dielectric strength needed for some applications. Beryllium oxide is available only in small sizes and safety can be a concern when dealing with toxic beryllium oxide powder.
Silicon Carbide (SiC) - This ceramic is also highly conductive and offers an alternative to aluminum nitride and beryllium oxide. Caution must be used when selecting silicon carbide substrates as dielectric strength can vary as temperature
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| In-Line Qaurtz |
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| In-line quartz heaters are ideal for use in continuous and intermittent flow aggressive chemical applications. This unique quartz resistive heater module design eliminates process contamination risk in the event of heater failure. |
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Thick Film In-Line Heaters on Quartz Provide Long Life and Efficient Heat Transfer
Watlow's new, ultra pure in-line thick film on quartz heaters are ideal for use in aggressive chemical applications. This high watt density heater uses thick film technology to provide maximum temperature response and heat output in a compact package.
Watlow's thick film on quartz heaters deliver an ultra clean heating solution. This
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unique quartz resistive heater module design eliminates process contamination risk in the event of element failure. With the thick film method, heating elements are fused directly to the exterior surface of the quartz tubes. This provides efficient transfer of heat energy with rapid response to changes in flow and temperature.
Life testing has demonstrated significantly longer life than with infrared or other types of conductive heating technologies. The combination of high watt density and compact size makes Watlow's in-line thick film on quartz heaters perfect for continuous and intermittent flow aggressive chemical applications. |
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| Benefits |
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Fast response
Compact size
High watt density
Ultra pure quartz
Long life
Wattages 1 to 12kW
390°F (200°C), maximum operating temperature
30 psi, maximum operating pressure
35 liters per minute, maximum flow rate
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| Applications |
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Aggressive chemicals
Ammonium chloride, NH 4 Cl
Hydrochloric acid, HCl
Hydrogen peroxide, H 2 O 2
Isopropyl alcohol, IPA
Phosphoric acid, H 3 PO 4
Ultra pure 18 MW deionized water, H 2 O
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| Corrosion Resistance with a See-Through Option |
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Flat Quartz
Thick film on quartz substrates provide a low-profile heater that can be cut to fit applications requiring corrosion resistance, high thermal density and visibility. |
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Thick Film on Quartz Offers High Thermal Density and Corrosion Resistance
Watlow's new thick film heaters on quartz glass are ideal for use in many applications where visibility and corrosion resistance are required. This high performance heater uses thick film technology to provide maximum temperature response, and temperature uniformity in a compact package. Thick film on quartz substrates provide a low-profile heater that can be cut or blow molded to fit a variety of shapes and sizes. Since quartz is an efficient radiator of heat, thick film on quartz can be utilized as effective radiant heaters.
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Thick film heaters can be applied in areas where space is at a premium or where conventional heaters cannot be used because the voltage and wattage combination precludes using other types of resistive heaters. Due to the unique nature of a thick film circuit, these heaters can be designed to vary heat output across the entire surface. This feature will correct virtually any temperature uniformity problem that a current design is generating while still allowing the ability to view the process.
Watlow's thick film heaters are manufactured to meet the requirements of NEC codes with UL® and CSA. Certifications are pending. |
FEATURES |
BENEFITS |
|
|
- Fast response to power input due to low thermal mass
|
- 932°F (500°C) maximum substrate temperature
|
- Provide uniform heat with see-through option
- Improve process quality and yield
|
- Watt densities: 20 W/in 2 for open air applications, 50 W/in 2 for clamp-on applications, 175 W/in 2 for immersion applications
|
- Precise, repeatable wattage distribution places heat directly where required
|
- Termination options include contact pad, epoxied, soldered or welded lead connector
|
- Substrate material offers excellent corrosion resistance
|
- Bonded RTD, epoxied thermistors, attached thermocouples plus full control integration
|
- Low profile package fits into tight spaces
|
- Corrosion resistant quartz heating surface
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- Moisture resistant glass material eliminates moisture problems and has low current leakage
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| Applications |
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- Semiconductor: In-line aggressive chemical heating, view ports and vacuum applications
- Life science: Thermal cycling and sterilizers
- Analytical equipment: Gas chromatography and spectroscopy
- General equipment: Fast prototyping
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