What is a PTC Heater?
PTC Heater stands for Positive Temperature Coefficient Heater. This is the technical wording for a flexibly printed wearable heater. Reid Print Technologies have mastered this technology on a large mass manufacturing scale. This has given Reid Print Technologies the ability to assist customers from prototyping, all the way through to product commercialisation in the wearables space.
PTC Heaters are a newer technology to hit the market utilising electronic print techniques. In short, the PTC Heaters screen printed onto a flexible substrate, which in turn enhances the piece of material to essentially become a paper-thin heater. These heaters are printed through using specialised inks that are resistive, conductive and a positive temperature coefficient. Flexible Printed PTC Heaters have overtaken the need for traditional heating methods. This new avenue of technology is on offer at Reid Print Technologies.
Due to the lightweight characteristics, PTC heaters are the preferred technology amongst industry applications where space and weight are a limitation. The manufacturing of this technology is very comparable to printed circuitry. Therefore, Reid Print Technologies has the optimal production processes to manufacturing PTC heaters at a large scale. This is particularly beneficial for businesses who are ready for full commercialisation.
What are the Benefits of Flexible PTC Heating Technology?
The flexible heater market is expected to have an exponential increase in demand by 2027. This is due to the increase demand of a technology that is not restricted by weight and size. A variety of industry are undergoing massive technological advancements and are hence looking to adopt more robust technological solutions.
The added benefits of opting for flexible printed PTC heaters by Reid Print Technologies is the easy integration that our products offer for both, new and existing products. Other benefits of flexible printed PTC heaters characteristics include:
- Self-regulating
- Ultra-thin
- Durability in extreme environments
- Made to order offering full customisation on shapes, sizes, resistances, and configurations
- Battery operated so you are not restricted to a power point as the power source
What Industries can utilise this technology?
Flexible PTC heater can be used across a variety of industry, and many industries that have not yet been discovered. Some of the industries that currently use the flexible PTC heat technology include:
- Apparel: As seen in heated clothing items such as jackets, gloves, and boots. An example of this is motorcyclists using the heating technology to keep them warm when they are riding in the harshest elements.
- Defence: PTC heating has been utilised in soldier uniforms and boots to help combat harsh weather environments.
- Medical: Often used in bedding to help keep patient temperatures regulated in and out of surgery.
- Automotive and aerospace: The automotive industry has been reaping the benefits of this technology for several years. This heating technology is often incorporated in the heated seating, steering wheels, and defogging or de-icing function in mirrors and windscreens.
- Sports and recreation: PTC heating elements have also been historically used in the sporting industry for athlete muscle recovery.
- Consumer: A unique application of flexible PTC heating elements in the consumer product market is utilising the heaters as a defogging agent in camera lenses. This market demand has increased as the number of free-lance photographers has increased around the world.
The possibilities for flexible printed heaters are endless. As this technology becomes more widely known the demand for it has been forecasted to increase exponentially. For more information on Reid Print Technologies flexible PTC heating solutions contact us on 1300 765 533 or email us at sales@reidprinttechnologies.com.au.
