BCE Cartridge Heaters

 

BCE manufactures a wide range of cartridge heaters for a variety of industrial applications, and can provide you with heaters manufactured to your exact specifications. Cartridge heater size, sheath, leads, terminals, wattage and voltage can all be adapted to meet your exact needs.

Low to Medium Watt Density Cartridge Heaters

BCE precision cartridge heaters provided localized heat to restricted work areas requiring close thermal control. Dies, platens, and a variety of other types of processing equipment are efficiently heated and can be closely controlled. Part work temperatures of up to 1250ºF are obtained by a combination of heater location and proper wattage output. Basic heater designs are readily adaptable to a wide variety of special requirements, sizes, or ratings. Heating element wires are constructed just beneath outside surface for optimum heat transfer and minimum core temperature, resulting in faster part heating.

The maximum power densities for low to medium watt density cartridge heaters is computed at 60 watts per square inch of heated surface. With proper fit in a heat sink, long life can be expected. Consult BCE for higher watt density applications. Lower watt density will result in longer life. Standard voltages are either 120V or 240V. Other voltages are available.

High Watt Density Cartridge Heaters

The useful life of a Cartridge heating element is determined by how quickly the heat generated in the internal resistance wire can be dissipated to the outside sheath. BCE high watt density cartridge heaters are design and constructed in a way that accelerates the transfer of heat from the resistance wire to the sheath. This is accomplished by relocating the wire so that it is closer to the sheath; and swaging the outside diameter of the heater, thereby compressing the magnesium oxide filler so that it becomes an improved conductor of heat from the wire while maintaining its dielectric properties. By improving the heat transfer rate, it is possible to manufacture elements of higher densities because the differential between the wire temperature and the sheath temperature has been minimized.

Common applications for high watt density cartridge heaters are dies, heat sealing machines, hot melt adhesive equipment, plastic molding machines, platens, and shoe machinery.

Optimizing Performance and Operating Life of High Watt Density Cartridge Heaters

Cartridge Heater Fit

High watt density heaters require careful fit to insure optimum performance and long life.  BCE recommends that installation holes not be drilled and reamed over .002” or larger than the nominal hole size required. 

Cartridge Heater Cycling

Rapid cycling of heaters from very low to very high temperatures shortens their life considerably. It is recommended therefore, that care be taken to compute the correct wattage for any given installation. Optimum wattage should result in a 50/50 off/on cycle.

Location of temperature Sensor and Cartridge Heater

When thermostats are used, the sensing element ought not to be placed further than 1⁄2" away from the heater wherever possible.

For more information about cartridge heaters, call BCE at 510-274-1990 or visit their website at https://bcemfg.com.

Custom Electric Heating Elements for Aerospace, Satellites, and Space Exploration

BCE applies specialized know-how in top level design and production to supply electrical heating technologies for applications in the fields of aerospace, satellite communications and space exploration. 

Providing electric heaters to the aerospace, satellite communications, and space exploration industries require pristine accuracy and conformance to exacting specifications. Heating elements must be designed to handle extremes in temperatures, shock and vibration, comply with exacting weight and size requirements, and be capable of operating in vacuum environments - all while still providing fail-proof performance.

BCE has decades of engineering and design experience in developing custom electrical heating elements for these industries. BCE's expertise has been called upon to solve many difficult application challenges unique to these applications, including viscosity control, condensation prevention, freeze protection, as well as air and gas heating.

BCE controls the entire manufacturing cycle including design, production and testing. Their understanding of electric heating technology, and the innovation accumulated along the way, is built upon decades of working closely with customers, meeting their critical requirements. Components and materials are carefully selected according to the customers’ exact specifications, many time turning out to be more than just the heating element itself. Products can be supplied as full assemblies complete with mechanical components, connectors, and sensors with batch sizes from a single piece to large volumes.

Contact BCE with any challenging electrical heating application in the aerospace, satellite communications, and space exploration field. You'll be glad you did.

BCE
https://bcemfg.com
510-274-1990

Types of Vacuum Feedthroughs

The main purpose of a vacuum feedthrough is to allow a substance, or a form of energy, to pass from outside of a sealed vacuum chamber to the inside. In so doing, the feedthrough must remain leak-free under both high and ultra-high vacuum conditions.

While quite different in construction style and application, the terms vacuum feedthrough, hermetic feedthrough, and electrical feedthrough are often used interchangeably by engineers, researchers, and scientists. No matter what they are called, they have the common purpose of allowing electricity, light, gas, or liquid to pass though a vacuum chamber's walls. The following are descriptions of several of the most common kinds of vacuum feedthrough:

A fiber optic feedthrough transfers emitted light through a fiber optic cable into  vacuum apparatus They provide a simple way to use optical fibers with vacuum chambers. They are available with flanged or screwed connections.

An electrical feedthrough carries some form of electrical energy into vacuum apparatus. The feedthrough usually has a single set. or multiple sets, of electrical conductors. These conductors can be pins, standard types of connectors, or lead wires.

Liquid and gas feedthroughs are used to carry liquids of gases in and out of a vacuum apparatus. The transfer is normally done using stainless steel tubes with epoxy-to-metal, ceramic-to-metal, or via an embedded compressing fitting.

A thermocouple feedthrough is  used for temperature measurement in vacuum applications. These feedthrough carry temperature instrumentation signals into  vacuum apparatus while providing electrical isolation and a hermetic seal. They are leak free in vacuum environments and can be supplied in most thermocouple calibrations, such as Type J, K, T, E, R, S, etc.

BCE, a Northern California based manufacturer of precision vacuum feedthroughs has a convenient vacuum feedthrough configuration tool here.

For more information on vacuum feedthroughs, contact BCE. Phone them at 510-274-1990 of visit their site at https://bcemfg.com/feedthroughs.

Happy Independence Day 2020 from BCE!

New Vacuum Feedthrough Product Designer from BCE

BCE, a California based manufacturer of high quality electric heating components and vacuum feedthroughs, is now offering a vacuum feedthrough product designing app on their website, bcemfg.com.

The app allows the visitor to select from an array of options and design their own vacuum feedthrough. Once the design is complete, the visitor can request pricing and delivery from BCE automatically though an integrated email messaging system. The visitor also receives a confirmation of their request.

The vacuum feedthrough designer is the third in a series of online BCE product configuration tools. The three currently available are for cartridge heaters, BCE's Mini Clean Flow air and gas heaters, and now for vacuum feedthroughs.

You can check them out here - https://bcemfg.com/article_277_Product-Designer.cfm

BCE designs and manufactures custom electric heating thermal systems, electrical feedthroughs, pneumatic feedthroughs, and fiber optic feedthroughs. You can learn more about BCE at https://bcemfg.com, or if you have an immediate need, call them at 510-274-1990.

Improved Electric Heating Element Design Optimizes Rocket Engine Propellant Flow

You might think a rocket engine would give off enough heat to keep any part of the engine warm, but as it turns out, that's not the case. In many instances, the high flow of very cold propellants can cause obstructions in the propellant manifolds and valves. The need for localized heat becomes essential, and is normally provided by exterior, surface mounted, flexible resistive heating elements. The most common type of electric heater used in these applications are thin polyimide patches bonded directly to the valves and manifolds. While this approach may be convenient in terms of shape and mounting, that advantage is significantly reduced when you consider what you lose in heater efficiency and
heat uniformity.

BCE, a California based manufacturer of electric heating elements, has developed a better approach. Their BCE HEM Sealed Heater™ is designed to be inserted directly in the heated bodies, maximizing the heat transfer and heat uniformity. The HEM Sealed Heater™ is secured directly to components by the means of an integrated flange. In essence, the BCE HEM Sealed Heater™ incorporates both the cartridge heaters’ wire wound resistive element encased in a metal sheath and the vacuum compatibility of a feedthrough. Furthermore, the BCE proprietary epoxy seal allows the heater to pass strict electrical tests ensuring the purity of the dielectric materials and hence, preventing shorting.

Learn more about the HEM Sealed Heater™here.

BCE
https://bcemfg.com
510-274-1990

New! Product Builders for BCE Cartridge Heaters and Mini Clean Flow Heaters

BCE is pleased to introduce two new online product configuration tools that allow you to build an electric cartridge or a fluid heater from a selection of pull-down menus and text field entries.

Cartridge Heater Product Builder
(click for larger view)

The BCE "Mini Clean Flow Heater Builder" and the BCE "Cartridge Heater Builder" are easy to use web-based applications that offer users the ability to design a heater specifically for their application.

The user interface consists of an onscreen product drawing which is updated as each element of the design criteria is chosen. Once designed, it provides a finished drawing and allows the user to submit a pricing quotation request to BCE.

Mini Clean Flow Heater Product Builder
(click for larger view)

The product builders are intended to save customers time by providing an easy and convenient way to choose heater options and get a fast, accurate price quote.

See the "Cartridge Heater Product Builder" and "Mini Clean Flow Heater Product Builder" here.

For more information, contact BCE. Call them at 510-274-1990 or visit their website at https://bcemfg.com.