PTC Heating Elements: What You Need to Know

If you&#;re comparing heating options for your warehouse, you&#;ve probably come across a wealth of information advocating for the safety, power, and abilities of PTC heating. PTC heating is efficient, inexpensive, and effective, making it an attractive option for many appliances.

PAKE supply professional and honest service.

At Sisler Companies, we provide PTC heating technology and other products and support for companies and major corporations in Western Ohio. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your team.

If you&#;re curious about how PTC heating elements will work in your appliances, keep reading.

What is a PTC Heating Element?

PTC is an acronym for positive temperature coefficient. These heating elements are heating discs crafted from ceramic materials. Research has found that the heat produced by this technology is energy efficient, powerful, stable, and durable, making it especially applicable in compact spaces such as appliances.

PTC heaters run open-loop, which means they have no need for feedback controls or external diagnostic. This makes them much safer as there is a low risk of overheating. For appliances that need risk-free, uniform, and powerful heating, PTC heating elements are a dependable option.

How Does a PTC Heating Element Work?

PTC heating elements are made with advanced conductive ceramic materials. They have a positive resistance change when exposed to an increasing temperature. As the element is exposed to more heat, the ceramic restricts the passage of the current through the component. Conversely, when exposed to a lower temperature, it will increase the passage of current. This is how it is able to create, maintain, and self-monitor heat.

Research supports the effectiveness of PTC heating technologies across a variety of applications. It performs exceptionally well and provides appliance manufacturers with the opportunity to designate specific temperature limits for the heater to function within.

What Appliances and Applications can a PTC Heating Element Work In?

PTC heating technology is used in a wide variety of applications due to its versatility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Moderns appliances that can use PTC heating elements are as follows:

• Food transportation and storage appliances including fridges and freezers
• Ovens, toasters, stoves
• Dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers
• Water heaters
• Healthcare appliances including heating systems in operating tables and beds
• Automotive and aerospace applications including heated seats and de-icers

How Can a PTC Heater Work for Your Appliance?

1. It can achieve the same level of heat with far less risk than traditional heating elements. In the case of malfunction, PTC heating elements will default to a &#;fail to cold&#; which makes the effect of the malfunction risk-free.
2. PTC heating elements self-regulate, so they decrease the level of resistance when the heat decreases, or increase the level of resistance when the heat increases, allowing the element to respond to its own temperature.
3. They are capable of offering customizable heating solutions when designed by an engineer. This means the temperature zones can be placed wherever is ideal for your appliance.
4. A simplified design means fewer components than are in a traditional heating element. This allows for less frequent damage or maintenance as the elements are easy to repair or replace, increasing the longevity of your product.
5. They are energy efficient and cost-effective.
6. They are smaller, more compact, and weigh less than other heating elements.

Where to Get a PTC Heating Element

That concludes our guide to everything you need to know about PTC heating elements. At Sisler Companies, we design our own patented PTC heating technologies. Our systems perform better, regulate temperature more effectively, are better at meeting target temperatures, and are superior at achieving temperature uniformity.

What Is a Ptc Heater Element?

PTC heaters come with a lot of promises about being more efficient, safer, and more effective. For these reasons, many space heater manufacturers are switching to Ptc Elements.

Despite their growing popularity, most consumers don&#;t know what a Ptc Heating element is. More importantly, most don&#;t understand what makes these heaters more efficient and safer than other options.

A Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) Heater Element uses conductive material with a high positive temperature coefficient to turn electricity into heat. Unlike traditional heaters, these elements exhibit strong self-limiting Temperature Control since the electrical resistance within the element increases as temperature increases.

This simple trait gives PTC heaters a major advantage over coil and wire Heating Elements. We&#;ll look at why this is, the different types of PTC heaters available, and their many benefits, below.

PTC Heaters vs. Traditional Heaters

Like traditional electric space heaters, PTC space heaters turn electricity into heat. Both types use fans or convection to move this heat into the environment and come with multiple heat and mode settings.

The difference between these types is in how they behave as their surface temperature increases. To understand these differences, we need to take an in-depth look at how both of these products work.

How Does a Traditional Heating Element Work?

Most traditional space heaters use conductive wires or coils to turn electrical currents into thermal energy. Nichrome wire is the most common type of wire element used today.

Nichrome, like other conductive wires, has a positive temperature coefficient. But unlike PTC elements, the current is not slowed enough at high temperatures to stop the wire from getting dangerously hot.

To keep from overheating and potentially causing a fire, these types of heaters come with electrical safety switches. Sensors inside the unit track the internal temperature and cut power to the heating element if it becomes too hot.

As long as these sensors and the associated switches are working properly, this system is very safe. However, if a sensor or switch were to malfunction, there would be nothing to stop the unit from overheating.

Note: Even when these types of heaters are working correctly, the temperature on the surface of the element can get close to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Traditional electric heaters heat up slowly, requiring more and more energy to increase the temperature of the element as time goes on. When the electrical sensors sense that the maximum temperature or set temperature is reached, the current is cut off or restricted and the element begins to cool. When the temperature falls below the threshold, the element will begin to reheat all over again.

For this reason, traditional heaters are far less effective than PTC heaters.

How Does a PTC Heating Element Work?

PTC heating elements also turn electrical current into thermal energy. But they possess a positive temperature coefficient that is strong enough to be self-limiting. This means that, as the element heats up, it becomes less receptive to current, which causes the temperature to decrease.

PTC heating elements can be made of a variety of materials. For many applications, they consist of conductive inks printed on flexible fabric. PTC elements in space heaters generally consist of high barium titanate ceramic disks.

These disks can be manufactured to max out at different temperatures depending on need. For home-use space heaters, the ceramic is typically manufactured to reach a maximum temperature of around 500 degrees.

Because PTC heater elements are self-limiting, they do not require extra sensors or switches. Instead, the heating element itself acts to limit heat output. As the temperature of the element rises, the current moving through the element is slowed at a proportional rate.

In other words, PTC heaters allow current to flow when the surface and ambient temperatures are low, and restrict current flow when the surface and ambient temperatures are high.

Once the maximum temperature has been achieved, a Ptc Element will maintain that consistent temperature using minimal electricity until the ambient temperature changes.

Note: If the element fails or is damaged in some way, it will stop moving current altogether. This means that even a malfunctioning PTC heater element cannot overheat.

During normal operation, a PTC heater will draw full power the moment it is turned on. As the temperature of the element rises, power consumption will decrease until it reaches a low steady state as the element reaches max temperature. This results in a high amount of power usage initially, but low overall power usage.

Not only does this mean that PTC heaters are more energy efficient, but they also produce heat faster than traditional electrical heating elements.

Types of PTC Heaters

PTC heating elements come in a huge variety of types. Because they run open-loop, do not require external control, and can be applied to flexible fabrics, there are endless possibilities for their use.

The seat and steering wheel heaters in your car are made of PTC conductive ink. As is that fancy heated lining in your puffer jacket. PTC heating elements are also widely used in the medical industry to keep patients comfortable during surgery and recovery.

In terms of space heaters, PTC heating elements come in two main types: aluminum fin and honeycomb.

Aluminum Fin Heaters

Aluminum fin heaters combine a Ptc Ceramic block with conductive aluminum fins to help spread the heat throughout the room.

Current passes through the ceramic, causing it to heat up. The heat is then transferred to the highly conductive aluminum fins. These fins can transfer heat to the air through convection or they can be used with an internal fan to push air over them and out into the room.

Like all PTC heating elements, these types are self-limiting and require no electrical sensors to avoid overheating. They can be manufactured to have multiple temperature maximums for use with target temperatures and multi-heat settings. Alternatively, a single maximum temperature point can be written into the ceramic block while multiple fan speeds allow for different heat outputs.

Honeycomb Heaters

Honeycomb heating elements are made up of PTC ceramic disks with hundreds of tiny holes bored through them. These holes allow air to pass directly through the heating elements. When paired with an internal fan, these units are highly effective at moving hot air from the Heater into the room.

Want more information on Ptc Heating Element for Glue Gun? Feel free to contact us.

These PTC heaters are also self-limiting and very safe. As with aluminum fin heaters, they can be manufactured to have multiple temperature maximums to allow for multiple heat settings and target temperature settings. Or they can simply work with multiple fan settings to move heat into the room at different rates.

Benefits of PTC Heating Elements

The self-limiting nature of PTC heaters gives them a lot of benefits beyond even what we already mentioned above. These benefits range from them being much safer to operate to their manufacture having a lower environmental impact.

Some of the most important benefits of PTC heaters include:

Safer to Operate: PTC heaters operate at half the maximum temperature as traditional units.

Will Not Overheat: The self-limiting physics of these ceramic disks means they don&#;t rely on external sensors or switches to avoid overheating.

Lower Power Consumption: As the element gets hotter, less power is used, making these units far more energy efficient.

Fail to Cold: If a PTC element is broken or damaged, the electrical current will stop flowing and the element will go cold.

Balanced Heating: The current flows through the entire element at the same rate which avoids dangerous hot spots and inefficient uneven heating.

Last Longer: Because the element stays cooler, heater components are less stressed and last longer than those in traditional heaters.

Heat Quickly: Full power draw is used upfront to quickly and effectively heat the element for more warmth much faster.

Lower Environmental Impact: PTC elements are created without acid washes or the other environmentally unfriendly processes needed to create wire and coil elements.

With so many benefits over traditional electric heater elements, it&#;s no wonder more and more manufacturers are using PTC elements in their space heaters. These products, like the Grelife 24-inch Space Heater, are far safer for use in the home. Plus, they heat more effectively and use less energy than their conventional counterparts.

PTC Heater: A Full Definative Guide You Should Know

Has it ever occurred to you that heaters usually tend to stop when you need them the most? Or have you heard of having hot spots on your car seats? Well, earlier we all were dependent on fixing such issues using fixed-resistance heaters. However, safety remains one of the most crucial underlying factors when only a single sensor provides you with the temperature of the heater. Despite the issues that have set back the usage of traditional heaters, Narain Cooling has an answer to overcome all such issues, using a PTC heater. 

Let&#;s first understand what is PTC heater and how they work. 

What is PTC Heater?

Positive Temperature Coefficients are self-regulating heaters. It consists of specialized heating discs made up of advanced ceramic materials. They run open-loop without the need for any external diagnostic controls. Unlike the traditional heaters that require wires and coils to produce heat, PTC heaters themselves use conductive inks. These inks are printed on flexible and thin polymer substrates. 

These heaters are ideal for products that require faster, safer, and uniform heating. The characteristics of this heating system provide high efficiency and reliability as they allow it to act as its sensor, thus eliminating the need for external control. As a result, the heater lowers the risk of overheating. 

PTC heaters use temperature coefficient materials that exhibit positive resistance to changes in the temperature.

Given the traits of PTC heaters, these are widely used for different purposes in industries & applications. They have been used in the automotive industry for decades now, where it thrives to survive in extreme conditions and environments. The robustness of PTC heaters has proved from car seats to surgical tubes and a wide range of applications in different industries. 

Transportation

In the automotive industry, PTC heaters are used to improve the heating within the vehicle including battery thermal management, seat heating, sensor de-icing, rearview, steering wheel heating, etc. This technology provides easy integration for in-flight applications, thereby making it an ideal choice to warm things like seats, walls, etc.

Healthcare

In the medical industry, safety is of utmost importance. These heaters offer under-body heating solutions and are ideal for human, veterinary, patient beds, blankets, and gurneys. These are also used in clinic chairs, dentist chairs, etc. The safety that comes with heaters makes them an effective material to be used in applications that involve direct contact with the skin. Moreover, you can also use them in fluid warming applications, shipment solutions, and drug storage. 

Public Spaces & Stadiums

PTC heaters provide more energy efficiency, unlike alternative technologies that are available today. They operate seamlessly in extreme conditions and adapt to dynamic changes in temperature. Moreover, they are also suited for mass production and can be easily used in outdoor venues like amphitheaters, stadiums, park benches, etc.

Food, Beverages & Restaurants

PTC heaters are efficiently employed in an industry that is governed by FDA (Food & Drug Administration) regulations. From fluid to food warming in food storage shipment, the heaters are used in various stages of food processing. Also, in the restaurant industry, they are placed on countertops or plates for warming solutions or food delivery bags.

Final Thoughts

PTC heaters offer endless possibilities and can be easily remodeled in terms of sizes and shapes.  The advantage of using the heater far exceeds the traditional heating system. Moreover, they are much safer and more efficient. Contact Narain Cooling to understand more about PTC heaters and get yourself one for your industry.

For more information or have any requirements, Just fill out this form. We will reach you as soon as possible.

*

First

*

*

CAPTCHA

PTC Bed heater

How does a thermal fuse not do the job?
And its not like you can't just go buy a thermal fuse off-the-shelf and add it to a hotend or a heated bed... We could have had one on every single 3D printer since well, 30 years ago.

Thermal fuse does the job but physics does the job better i.e. in extraordinary situations fuses can fail to function whereas the material properties will always stay true. Fuse is also an external safety thing which 2 more added connectors and a way to secure it to the bed whereas PTC heater needs none of those.

You can also notice that a lot of devices that have something to do with heating are going the PTC way whenever they can.

Additionally the whole setup is so easy that all I needed to do in my tests is put electricity through the heaters and I was done and everything was perfectly safe (at least thermally).

Besides, its actually easier (and just as good) to design a hotend that even if left on 100% with no cooling fan, can't damage itself... not that we get that all the time.

I totally agree and by this logic I also prefer PTC bed heater over fuse if possible and why I use v6 30W hotend heater.

Now if you really want to get fussy, there are only limited options above 200C, and iirc nothing above 300C. And good luck finding a self-resetting fuse over about 100C. But if you want to be that fussy, PTC heaters are less safe than a thermal fuse, because the control can fail on and they stay hot. With a thermal fuse, if the control fails on, the fuse melts and the heater turns off.

PTC is always safer because it can not cross critical point and has less complexity than the fuse system. The fact that it does not power down is irrelevant when no damage can be done. In the experiment I've done I've left the heater on with no control and the temperature never crossed 80 degrees with just one heater and never crossed 100 degrees with 2 of them. In the worst case with 100% perfect insulation (aka no heat loss)the whole system would never cross 140 degrees. I believe here you should apply the same logic you used for hotend heater...

Why are people not using PTC heaters? The real reason?

Because when you ask for one from a manufacturer they respond with "pay us a bunch of money and we will design one for your needs".

If the demand would be there, there would be heaters hence my rant about "fuse does the job". I started investigating the price options and send message to some ali sellers to see if custom design is possible, let see how that goes. Price wise it seems that these heaters are cheaper and one could make a mesh out of them i.e. use bunch of these for example.

The only downside I can see is that PTC heaters that are not mains powered but powered from duet might be problematic because I've measured big initial spike in current.

For more information, please visit Tesla Model 3 Ptc Heater.