Custom Heating Elements and Controls

Custom heating element.

Many types of industrial and manufacturing equipment, including analytical instrumentation, semiconductor, photovoltaic, medical, plastics processing, foodservice packaging, and aerospace equipment require some kind of custom electric heater, controller, and sensor.

For instance here, in semiconductor processing, you can find a need for electric heating in all these areas:  Bake platen heaters, bake/chill pedestal & platen heaters, hot chuck heaters, high temperature platen heaters, standard pedestal heaters, vacuum chamber heaters, and aluminum pedestal heaters.

A well engineered thermal system considers overall heat load, maintenance power requirements, control method, and sensor location. Working with a vendor who has the experience and background in this kind of product development is critical. Careful consideration of form, fit, and function requires the guidance an experienced applications engineer to avoid wasted time and money. 

Custom Heating Elements & Control Systems from Belilove Company-Engineers

Custom Epoxy Vacuum Feedthroughs

THE NEED
Equipment manufacturers and scientific researchers are continually challenged with supplying power, fiber-optic, control, and monitoring cables through sealed vacuum vessels. Whether due to space restrictions, special geometries, or number and type of conductors, standard glass-to-metal or ceramic feedthroughs never quite fit the bill. Unfortunately, because of limited options, many designers are forced to compromise and go for an off-the-shelf solution.

THE SOLUTION 

During the past decade, new epoxy compounds have been developed that rival glass and ceramic in performance. With modern epoxy feedthroughs, any kind of standard or custom connector is sealed in a completely potted, high-performance, clear epoxy compound. Epoxy seals offer countless design options, and most amazingly, performance equal to or better than glass or ceramic. Better yet, pricing is very competitive and quick turn-around for prototypes and short production runs are not a problem.

BCE Custom Vacuum Feedthroughs from Belilove Company-Engineers

Electric Heating Element Technical Reference Guide

Carnot engine diagram
(courtesy of Wikipedia)

Here’s a very handy reference document (courtesy of Hotwatt) for the application of electric heating elements in industrial and OEM applications such as extruding, vulcanizing, laminating, curing, bonding and thermoforming.

The heater application guide provides all the important technical look-up tables required to properly apply electric heaters, such as wattage calculation formulas and examples, properties of metals properties of non-metallic solids, properties of liquids and gases, suggested watt densities, estimates of wattage required, guide for heat losses, suggested sheath materials, installation,  Ohms Law, and typical wiring diagrams. The reference document is also very helpful when designing custom electric heating elements and designing a thermal system.

Electric Heating Element Technical Reference Guide from Belilove Company-Engineers

Custom Epoxy Vacuum Feed Throughs Take It All Through The Wall

Take it all through the wall!

Equipment manufacturers and scientific researchers are continually challenged with supplying power, fiber-optic, control, and monitoring cables into (and out of) sealed vacuum vessels. Whether due to space restrictions, special geometries, or number and type of conductors, standard glass-to-metal or ceramic feedthroughs never quite fit the bill. Unfortunately, because of limited options, many designers are forced to compromise and go for an off-the-shelf solution.

Epoxy to the rescue. During the past decade, new epoxy compounds have been developed that rival glass and ceramic in performance. BCE is at the forefront of this development and leverages modern epoxy's unique properties to solve your feedthrough challenges.

For more information visit www.belilove.com/feedthrough.

Involved with Materials and Vacuum? Know the AVS? Check Out Their 2015 Symposium & Exhibition

AVS.org

In 1953, a group of professionals met in 1953 in New York City to discuss high vacuum applications and problems. In 1957 the group formally named itself the Advanced Vacuum Society (www.avs.org) and has since then grown into multiple technical divisions and technical groups that encompass a range of established as well as emerging science and technology areas.

Today, the AVS is self-described as " .. an interdisciplinary, professional Society, AVS supports networking among academic, industrial, government, and consulting professionals involved in a variety of disciplines - chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, all engineering disciplines, business, sales, etc. through common interests related to the basic science, technology development, and commercialization of materials, interfaces, and processing area."

Each year they hold their International Symposium & Exhibition that draws over 3000 people. This year the 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition is being held on October 18 through 23 at the San Jose Convention Center. You can learn more about it here.

For anyone involved in material science, or vacuum technologies, its an excellent organization to join. BCE is proud to support the AVS, and will be exhibiting products unique to this group, namely: custom board mountable vacuum feedthroughs for quick turn prototypes, custom heater assemblies, controllers, sensors, ceramic metallization, and precision laser machining and drilling for difficult applications. If you visit the exhibition, please stop by and visit us at booth 914.

A Mini Electric Heater for Clean Flowing Gases

Need a small, compact electric heater to heat flowing air or gas? Equipment manufacturers and laboratory engineers  can find themselves challenged to provide a stream of clean high temperature air or gas.

The solution? A mini “process air” heater.

These heaters are designed so that the stream of air is heated by passing over an enclosed heated metal surface rather, than directly over resistance elements. This prevents contaminants from entering the flow of gas.

Generally, these heaters have the following specifications:

• Designed for applications where streams of high temperature, clean air is needed. 
• Air flow passes over an enclosed heated body; not exposed to ni-chrome  resistive elements.
• Constructed of 304 Stainless Steel (other material is available). 
• High temperatures, ranges and temperature sensors are available. 

Electric process air heaters provide quick heat up and cool down cycles with maximum heat transfer. They are compact and available in a variety of voltages.

There are many uses for these clean air process heaters. Some general applications are laminating, drying, baking, shrink fitting, plastic welding, soldering, preheating and metalworking, and packaging.

More specific industry uses are:

Aerospace:

• Combustion testing
• Flow simulation
• Component stressing

Automotive:

• Curing adhesives
• Fuel cell testing

Packaging:

• Paperboard sealing
• Heat shrink installations
• Forming
• Curing adhesives
• Sterilizion
• Pharmaceuticals
• Medical/surgical hardware
• Packaging materials

Paper/Printing:

• Speed drying
• Activation adhesives 
• Ink drying

Semiconductor/Electronics:

• Air knife in wave solder machines
• Soldering/desoldering PC boards
• Multi-station desoldering
• Wafer and PC board drying
• Heat shrinking insulation
• Preheating process gases

Textiles:

• Heat welding plastic or vinyl

For more information about these heaters, contact:

BCE
21060 Corsair Blvd
Hayward, CA 94545
Phone: (510) 274-1990
Fax: (510) 274-1999
E-mail: sales@belilove.com

www.belilove.com

Electric Heaters for Heating Flowing Gases To 1000 F

Examples of air heaters
(click for larger view)

Do you need a small, compact electric heating system that can heat flowing gas or air up to 1000 degrees F.?

You may want to consider an inline "air process heater".

These fabricated (usually custom) electric heaters are self-contained, provide inlets and outlets, wiring,  sensors to measure internal temperatures, and are available in a variety of materials.

Air Process heater provide hot air and gas up to 1000^oF (540^oC) with infinite control by varying the voltage and air velocity supplied.

Units are fitted with a tubing “T” for convenient power lead outlet, while larger diameters can be supplied with post terminals on the sheath for direct electrical connections.

Designs can accommodate male or female NPT threaded fittings, hose adaptors, flanges, or custom fittings to your specifications.

Typical Air Heater Construction

Construction

1. Optional stainless steel bushing. 
2. Ceramic coil support.
3. Resistance element.
4. Stainless steel sheath. 
5. Silver solder.
6. Fiberglass insulated leads. 
7. Epoxy seal.
8. Copper tee.
9. Heliarc weld.
10. Optional brass bushing.

To properly size and select an air process heater:

• Determine the volume of air or gas(SCFM) you will be heating. 
• Determine temperature rise in degrees Fahrenheit(􏰁ToF).
• Calculate wattage required as follows:
• Watts = SCFM x delta-T ^oF / 3

Take into consideration the physical size requirements of your application and determine from the specifications chart for each size, the air heater best suited for your application.

Summary of Features:

• Exit air temperatures to 11000^oF (540^oC).
• Standard pressure rating is 80 psig at room temperature. 
• May be used with recirculating air up to 250^oF (121^oC).
• Designed for horizontal use.
• For use with clean, dry air.