Cartridge heaters are small heating elements with several industrial and commercial uses. Their tube-like design renders them very flexible and distinguishes them from other heaters. Like most heating devices/components, cartridge heaters are built with several-watt densities to suit different purposes and tasks better.
Generally, cartridge heaters comprise a resistance coil typically enclosed around a dielectric ceramic core. In addition, the structure is covered with metal to ensure better protection of the components. The heater works under an AC power supply whereby due to the current flowing through the heater, the resistance coil becomes hot and, as a result, transmits the heat to the metal case enclosing it and finally to the surrounding.
These heaters have become popular since they effectively dissipate all the heat to the surrounding. They can be easily accessed from various manufacturers such as Hasteco Heating Technology, which manufacture different cartridge heaters such as mini-cartridge heater, finned cartridge heater, threaded cartridge heater, right-angle cartridge heater, high-density cartridge heater, square cartridge heater, cartridge heater with internal thermocouple among others.
We have written other articles about what is the cartridge heater, if interested to know about it, click here. This page details introduce some advantages of cartridge heaters to help you understand them better.
Efficiency in energy transfer
The ability of cartridge heaters to effectively dissipate heat to the environment is one of their significant advantages. Unlike the other heaters, these are relatively small, with components fitted inside them. Therefore, the small structure ensures that the components inside the tube are closely packed to each other, providing contact. As a result, the heat from the resistance coil is transmitted effectively to the dielectric ceramic core, which is again transmitted to the metallic case enclosing the components.
The contact between the heater’s components ensures heat transfer with nearly no heat loss. Additionally, the metal casing partially helps prevent oxidation of the heater components hence minimizing heat losses. Moreover, it is possible to ensure complete heat transfer by providing full interaction with the component meant to receive the heat.
Sustainability to a wide range of temperatures
Cartridge heaters are manufactured with various watt densities, making them suit several tasks. Therefore, the heaters are usable for several tasks requiring exact temperature controls. So this implies that heaters can be used where temperature control is essential, for instance, in the production of plastics, processing of food, and manufacture of electronics, among others.
Additionally, these heaters can be used to control the air temperatures in several components, which all suffer the danger of being compromised by condensation. Furthermore, cartridge heaters can dissipate temperatures that can go to as high as 1400 degrees Fahrenheit, making them suitable for a wide range of industrial, commercial, and home applications.
Ease of customization
These heaters are built in a way that they can be customized to meet unique and specific requirements for special applications. The customization includes; alterations in the length and diameter of the tube, voltage, and dissipated watts, among others. Other industrial heaters can be customized but less than cartridge heaters since they have restrictions. These property makes cartridge heaters more efficient in use since no matter the condition of the place; you can install a cartridge heater.
In addition, the heaters have swaged in lead, making them suitable for use even in areas with much movement. This is because the connection between the leads and the power pins is inside the heater.
Sleek construction and design
Cartridge heaters have a swaged structure that compresses the dielectric ceramic core, which aids in generating a dense dielectric with better heat transfer properties. Additionally, the swaged shape aids in decreasing vibrations and shock in instances where the heater is fitted in places with much motion and still works effectively. The swaged-in leads make the heater capable of high temperatures and high watt density.
The heaters are also designed to be very flexible and perfectly fit your specific heating system. This is done to make the cartridge heater perform effectively to its purpose. Furthermore, the heater has compact sizes, making it possible and easy to slide into closed structures such as die blocks and injection molds. This is possible since cartridge heaters are generally small in size and diameter.
High performance and ease of installation
These heaters offer recommendable performance regarding temperature and power. This is because they are inserted into drilled holes, providing a quick and more effective heat transfer to the areas they are in contact with. The density of the cartridge heater depends on the size that you, as the user, require, hence explaining why cartridge heaters are manufactured in different sizes. Moreover, the numerous sizes guarantee you, as the user, that the size you choose will be suitable for your needs.
These heaters are also easy to install since they are just inserted into an already drilled hole. Furthermore, cartridge heaters have a smooth surface, making inserting the tube-like heater into the drilled hole even easier. Their maintenance cost is also very minimal since they require very little maintenance once they are in operation. Moreover, they can be quickly and easily inserted into a bore or a sleeve, making them a perfect option for tasks where downtime is not a choice.
The small size of the heaters also makes it possible and easy to insert them into small tight holes. Therefore, this makes them suitable for use in areas with limited space. These include areas such as medical equipment or laboratory instrumentation rooms.
Durability
Cartridge heaters are manufactured in a way that they can be able to withstand rough conditions such as high temperatures, moisture, and corrosive chemicals. Some cartridge heaters, such as those manufactured by Hasteco heating technology, have swaged in leads which help them withstand high temperatures.
They also manufacture cartridge heaters that can withstand moisture and hence are corrosion-resistant. This is because the metallic coating used to shield the components that make up the cartridge is usually stainless steel or lead, which are very corrosion-resistant. This, therefore, means that these types of heaters can be used in various environments like clean rooms, dusty rooms, and industrial manufacturing plants, to mention but a few, without the risk of damage or failure.
Additionally, some of the cartridge heaters have thermocouples fitted in the middle or even inside them. The thermocouple usually enables the cartridge heater to turn on and off automatically since it is very sensitive to temperature changes. Hence shielding the heater from overheating that might lead to damage to the heater. Also, the element of automatic switching on and off aids in energy conservation since once the required temperatures are reached, the heater switches off, avoiding wastage of electricity and saving you the electricity bill.
Excellent heat zoning
Cartridge heaters can transfer heat consistently, heating over the whole length of the component to be heated. Consistent heating helps to ensure that the heat dissipated from the heater is distributed uniformly over the entire length of the heated product, which is an essential factor to consider, especially in applications such as injection molding.
Additionally, these heaters respond quickly to changes in heat and promptly heat up to the required temperature within a few minutes or even seconds. Therefore, making them appropriate for use in tasks where time is a captious factor. That is applications such as high-speed manufacturing processes.
Even though cartridge heaters can transfer heat efficiently, you should consider the areas that require more heating since this will determine the size of the heater you will need for that particular task. These heaters’ different sizes result in various capabilities and wattage. Therefore, it is essential that you know the amount of heating that will be required in specific application areas to purchase the right size of cartridge heater for the area.
Heavy duty
Since a cartridge heater is a component that is generally manufactured to generate heating, it has to have the ability to withstand the heat that it produces. Therefore, this implies that the heater must be hard-wearing to make it suitable for different applications. Therefore, it is built to withstand pressure and heat to provide better efficiency in heat transfer. If you take the wrong cartridge heater, you can avoid using much money on the maintenance of the heater, and the heating process will be slower than it is supposed to be. In addition, the heater also suffers the risk of breakage due to the high temperature.
In conclusion, cartridge heaters have many functions and advantages, making them more effective and ideal for industrial and commercial use. But even with all these advantages, it is vital that you also purchase cartridge heaters from established manufacturers to guarantee yourself an efficient heater. Regarding cartridge heaters and other types of heaters, Hasteco heating technology is the top manufacturer. Contact us and learn more about our heaters. Hasteco heating technology is “your largest producer of coil heaters in China.”
