How Polyester Heaters Can Help with Your High-Humidity Applications

January 13, 2023 arcstone

Water resistance is essential when you’re dealing with sensitive electronic components. Even brief exposure to water can cause damage that isn’t repairable. That brief water exposure can cause unseen malfunctions and slowdowns. At the very least, you may shorten the life of a piece of equipment without realizing it.

But even without direct exposure to water, electronics can suffer moisture damage. High-humidity environments can be as dangerous to your components as a spill or flood. The weather can enter your medical equipment, machinery, and food storage. A flexible polyester heater can protect your equipment with minimal energy usage.

How Polyester Heaters Work

It can be challenging to maintain a consistent temperature, even in an indoor area. Weather fluctuations lead to thermostat changes, affecting the air’s humidity.

Those changing conditions can have a direct impact on everyday equipment. Flexible heaters control fluctuations, whether it’s a medical device or a vending machine.

Polyester encases the wiring in a flexible polyester heater, then custom-fit to specifications. It can cover a large surface area and is flexible enough to squeeze into tight, curved spaces. Once in place, the heater maintains a consistent temperature across the surface, regardless of the outside temperature.

Types of Polyester Heaters

There are two significant types of polyester heaters, each with unique benefits. To choose between the two, you’ll need to decide which features are most important to you and look at your budget. Wire-wound heaters are affordable, but there are cases where etched foil makes more sense. Our sales staff at Hi-Heat will help you down the right path to the best fit for your application.

Etched foil polyester heaters

Any extra component that utilizes energy will boost the electricity bill a little. Etched foil polyester heaters come in handy in reducing that bill. Foil helps distribute the heat, which means less of a pull on a power source. But, etched foil heaters are more expensive to produce. For larger surface areas, the money you’ll spend on the front end might exceed what you save.

We recommend etched foil when a manufacturer is dealing with more complex surfaces. The even heat distribution makes it a better fit for curved surfaces. Etched foil heaters also increase their temperature quicker, so they’re better for equipment that’s powered off and on.

Wire wound polyester heaters

In wire-wound polyester heaters, polyester surrounds fiberglass that encases metals like nickel-chromium. This creates consistent heat even over large, curved surfaces. Due to the manufacturing process, these heaters can be made at an affordable cost.

Where wire wound heaters come in handy is in their quick turnaround time on prototypes. Manufacturers that serve a large number of distributors will often choose wire-wound to reduce wait time.

Benefits of Polyester Heaters

Polyester is a synthetic resin that can be used in various applications. It’s known for its thin profile and reliable build. Since polyester heaters operate at a max temperature of 200° F, they provide consistent heat across large surfaces. This temperature threshold can limit polyester heaters to certain types of equipment, though.

Here are a few of the top benefits of polyester heaters.

Moisture and chemical resistance

Polyester offers peace of mind. It’s naturally moisture-resistant, which protects against everything from spills to humidity.

Polyester heaters also resist chemical exposure. This is most relevant for applications where dyes or acids are present. Even if you don’t think your equipment will suffer chemical exposure, it helps to have protection.

Consistent heat transfer

One issue with heating a large surface area is that some sections might get more heat than others. Polyester evenly absorbs temperature across its surface. This means the heat transfer will be consistent from one end to another. It’s advantageous when electronic components are spread across a broad space.

Best of all, polyester’s even heat distribution applies over curved surfaces. Manufacturers can also design these heaters to apply more heat in specific areas.

Faster warm-up

Some types of equipment remain on around the clock, while others are power-cycled. Medical equipment, for instance, may be powered off when not in use. Waiting for a heating element to warm up can be inconvenient. This is where polyester heaters can help.

Polyester flexible heaters have a faster warm-up cycle than others. Once the heater is warm, it maintains a consistent temperature until you power it off again.

Multiple installation options

You’ll need to be able to attach your polyester heater once you have it on hand. To make things easier, Hi-Heat customizes your order to make installation simple.

Each heater can be fit with an adhesive backing that allows you to slide it into place. If you’d prefer to mount the heater, you can choose between holes, notches, or cutouts sized to your needs.

Impressive durability

There’s a reason polyester has a wide range of uses. The fibers have impressive strength and hold up under pressure. With both etched foil and wire, you’ll get a solution that lasts over the many years your equipment is in place.

Not only will your heater hold up, but it will protect the components inside the equipment. This will help extend its life and reduce downtime.

If you’re in the market for flexible heating solutions, Hi-Heat Industries can help. We’ll customize your heater to your needs, satisfying your order requirements. Contact us today to find out how our solutions can help your business.