What are PTC heaters?

Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heaters provide a reliable and efficient heating solution for a wide variety of industries.

Has your film heater ever stopped functioning when you needed it the most? Have you heard of car seats overheating or having hot spots? For decades, we have been relying on fixed resistance heaters for most of our needs. Safety remains an underlying concern when a single point sensor "assumes" the temperature of the entire heater. Despite the various issues that have plagued traditional heaters, we continue to deploy them widely across industries. However, Boyd has the answer to overcome all of these challenges - PTC heating - a technology that puts safety in the front seat.

What are PTC Heaters?

In this blog, we're kicking off a four-part series to answer your questions: the what, why, where, and how of PTC heaters.

Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heaters are self-regulating heaters that run open-loop without any external diagnostic controls. While traditional fixed-resistance heaters employ wires and coils to generate heat, PTC heaters use conductive inks printed on thin, flexible polymer-based substrates. Scoring high on reliability and efficiency, they are ideal for products that require safer, faster, and more uniform heating. The properties of the material allow the PTC heater to act as its own sensor, eliminating the need for any external feedback controls. As a result, the heater inherently eliminates the risk of overheating.

PTC heaters utilize Positive Temperature Coefficient materials, materials that exhibit a positive resistance change in response to the increase in temperature. As the temperature increases, the electrical resistance of the material also increases, thus limiting the current flow. The material allows current to pass when it’s cold and restricts current to flow as the threshold temperature increases.

PTC heaters draw full power initially to quickly heat up and reach the optimum temperature. As the heat increases, the power consumption simultaneously drops. This dynamic heating system is not only effective, but also time and energy efficient. PTC heaters can be designed to operate anywhere between -40°C and 70°C (-40°F and 158°F). The threshold temperature is customized during the design phase. Heaters with multiple temperature zones are achievable and watt density can be changed through simple modifications.

With a blend of performance and functionality, conductive inks redefining printed electronics, with components like PTC heaters. PTC heaters enable the freedom to design intricate heating patterns. They are also abrasion resistant, cost-effective, and allow large volume production. Carbon conductive inks are screen printed on polymer-based substrates to generate a Positive Temperature Coefficient heater. While polyester is primarily used, other substrate materials can also be utilized. The PTC conductive inks can endure repeated cycles of heating and cooling. The printed circuits are sealed with an adhesive laminate to prevent the ingress of moisture as well as mechanical abrasion. Sealed constructions can withstand extreme external conditions and the rigors of heavy usage.

PTC heating technology, a term synonymous with safety, utilizes best-in-class technology that surpasses the available options on the market today. In our next blog, we will elaborate on the benefits of PTC heaters versus traditional heaters. 

Learn more about PTC Heaters and their potential applications in the next blog post in our PTC heater series.