For Over 100 Years
Chromalox is a name that denotes superiority, with products that have shaped history for over 100 years. From the humble home to the raging battlefield to beyond earth's atmosphere, Chromalox has been there to provide warmth, safety, and security.
The World's First
 | The year was 1915. Edwin L. Wiegand was an engineer from Pittsburgh. Working out of a makeshift lab in his family's dining room, Wiegand "experimented with ways to encapsulate the fragile and sometimes dangerous 'open coil' heat technology of the time in a dielectic." A patent was filed, and history was made as the world saw its first metal sheathed resistance heating element. Electricity became more popular within residential and commercial markets; Chromalox followed the boom and became a critical supplier of integrated heat and controls. |
The Great Depression
During America's great depression in the 1930's, struggling families seeking warmth and safety relied on Chromalox's finned strip heater. According to Janet Cumberledge, Director of Customer Service at Chromalox:
"...the finned strip heater is a modification to our basic strip heater. They added fins to increase the surface area to provide comfort heating to families who were struggling during the Great Depression."
"...the finned strip heater is a modification to our basic strip heater. They added fins to increase the surface area to provide comfort heating to families who were struggling during the Great Depression."
1930's Era Chromalox Finned Strip Heater
World War II
In the 1940's, Chromalox joined the war effort as World War II created a high demand for portable comfort heaters and freeze protection heaters that could be used in the field, on land and sea.
Chromalox heating elements helped to keep men and women from freezing during the brutal European winters. It was during the war that Chromalox's over-the-side heater was introduced.
Chromalox heating elements helped to keep men and women from freezing during the brutal European winters. It was during the war that Chromalox's over-the-side heater was introduced.
To the Moon
Enter the 1960's and Apollo 11. It was Chromalox's strip heater - located in the electronic control box of a fuel triggering device on the Lunar Module - that supported mankind's giant leap to the moon.
James Lewis, Application Engineer at Chromalox, explains the importance of Chromalox's role in the moon landing:
"You need to have reliability. You needed safety. You know, any little thing could have gone wrong, and any little thing - when you're 240,000 miles from earth - is not a good thing to happen. So, again, our equipment rose to the occasion; it succeeded, and everything worked out great."
Chromalox was also the first to supply NASA with liquid nitrogen vaporizers for purging the launch pad fuel systems for rocket ignition.
James Lewis, Application Engineer at Chromalox, explains the importance of Chromalox's role in the moon landing:
"You need to have reliability. You needed safety. You know, any little thing could have gone wrong, and any little thing - when you're 240,000 miles from earth - is not a good thing to happen. So, again, our equipment rose to the occasion; it succeeded, and everything worked out great."
Chromalox was also the first to supply NASA with liquid nitrogen vaporizers for purging the launch pad fuel systems for rocket ignition.
Onward & Upward
It's been 100 years, and Chromalox charges along as one of the most influential innovators, solving the world's most demanding and complex heating challenges.
Proheat is proud to be an authorized distributor of all Chromalox heater products, including band heaters, cartridge heaters, strip heaters, tubular heaters, immersion heaters, and more. We are dedicated to provide excellence in distribution.
