Many industrial applications create mechanical vibrations and face uneven heat distribution, which hamper the manufacturing process. Marathon Heater’s silicone heater are highly customizable industrial heaters that are very durable, are not affected by vibrations as well as mechanical shock, and offer even distribution of heat.

What is a silicone rubber heater?

Silicone rubber heaters are a type of surface heating element that is versatile, thin, lightweight, and flexible. They can be constructed in almost any configuration to fit practically on any type of surface. Silicone pad or rubber heaters by us feature rugged construction and are immensely flexible. Flexible heaters are well suited for robust applications and are moisture as well as chemical resistant, which enhances their scope of application in various industries.

Silicone rubber flexible heaters produce high output voltage as well as even heat distribution, and offer better temperature control when integrated with temperature control devices. Faster heating and a lower wattage requirement are achieved by their thin design and direct bonding to the application, which promote efficient as well as quick heat transfer. Furthermore, they also offer a very high watt density. Silicone heating elements are capable of performing at surface temperatures of up to 392 °F (200 °C). 

Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), field-applied adhesive, springs or grommets, Velcro, RTV, and other mounting methods with or without thermal insulation are also available as required. Lead termination can be provided at any location for ease of connectivity.

Silicone flexible heaters are manufactured at Marathon Heaters and are used in diverse heating applications. Depending on the needs of the customer, we can form silicone rubber heaters into more complex shapes using specialized techniques.

Construction

• The heating element is a nickel-chromium resistance wire wound to a silicon rubber sheet for long life and even heat distribution.
• After winding, termination of heating element is done with copper sheet.
• Terminals of the heater windings are then attached to lead wire using soldering.
• For added support and flexibility, the lead wire is made of high-temperature resistance wire wound around a fiberglass core.
• Silicone rubber sponge that has high dielectric strengths, are attached on the outer surface of the heater to provide insulation.
• Vulcanization process is performed at last for removing air and moisture content from the heater

We can also provide etched foil and wire-wound flexible silicone rubber heaters for different application requirements.

Wire-Wound Element

Resistance wire is used in the wire-wound silicone rubber heaters, which are laminated to the silicone rubber to ensure physical strength and even heat distribution. They are generally preferred for all small as well as large heaters.

Etched Foil Element

Chemically etched circuits are laminated between thin silicone sheets to achieve faster heat transfer in the etched foil silicone heaters. Because of its large flat surface area, the etched foil heater has superior heat transfer compared to wire wound elements.

How Marathon helps industries by manufacturing silicone heaters?

Marathon Heaters has been helping a broad range of industries by providing customized silicone heaters. Flexible heaters at Marathon can be designed as thin as 0.056 inches [1.6 mm], and possess a maximum watt density of up to 15 watts per square inch with customizable length as well as width according to requirements. This makes our heaters capable of rapid heat transfer as well as even distribution. Furthermore, these heaters can withstand temperatures ranging from -40 to 200 degrees Celsius.

Our silicone rubber heaters are designed to achieve the customer’s desired benefits by considering the following parameters:

1. Lead wire termination options

Silicone rubber heaters can be provided with a variety of lead wire such as Teflon, fiberglass and silicone cable. Also, many different orientations of lead wire are possible.

2. Thermal Insulation

Marathon can provide its flexible silicone rubber heaters with a variety of thermal insulation in varying thicknesses and material types. To improve heater efficiency, silicone sponges are commonly provided because they are extremely flexible. The ease of installation and removal, along with the inert characteristics of silicone rubber, make heaters an excellent value.

3. Design Option

Marathon offers several design options for simple installation on curved and irregular surfaces to meet a wide range of application requirements. Ground mesh, round heaters, and enclosure heaters are some of the common design options for silicone heaters. Furthermore, various customized shapes of flexible heater for specific applications can be manufactured.

4. Mounting methods

Silicone rubber heaters can be attached to any surface by different methods such as:

• Factory Vulcanization
• Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA)
• Field applied adhesive
• Springs or grommets
• Velcro

5. Temperature Control

Marathon’s silicone rubber heaters can be designed and manufactured with temperature control equipment as well as sensors. Thermostats with pre-set or adjustable configurations, RTDs, and thermocouples are commonly used control devices used to measure and sense temperature. They are mounted on heaters in order to measure the part temperature more precisely.

6. Drum Heater

Flexible silicone heaters are also used to heat liquid stored in drums. Uniform heating prevents degradation and maintains the quality of the drum content. They can be mounted on any type of drum or barrel for liquid processing and heating. Check out this video at https://youtu.be/bbyrzwpEUJs to see how a silicone rubber heater is used to heat a drum.

Why to choose silicone heaters and how it’s beneficial for us?

It is feasible to transfer heat only where it is required with the help of a Silicone Rubber Heater. In addition to withstanding mechanical shock and vibration, they can be pre-formed into desired shape. They also ensure more efficient heat transfer than any other heating element. As a leading silicone rubber heater manufacturer, we provide silicone heating elements for a wide range of industries, including medical, aerospace, food equipment, automotive, laboratory, semiconductor, and more.

Some of the specific applications and advantages include:

• Condensation Control
• Battery warming
• Freeze protection
• Pipeline heaters
• Drum heaters
• Medical field and laboratories
• Defense sector

Conclusion

Being one of the leading silicone rubber heater manufacturers, we offer custom silicone rubber heaters that are manufactured from high-grade silicone rubber materials that provide increased flexibility as well as exceptional heating properties.

For more information on your custom silicone heater needs, please contact us at quote@marathonheat.com