Silicone Heater Mats

A silicone heater mat, also known as a silicone heater pad, is a flexible heating device made from silicone rubber. Laminated between the sheets of silicone are wires or foil tracks that act as heating elements that provide an even distribution of heat. Because there is only a thin piece of material separating the silicone form the element, the heat transfer of silicone heater mats is rapid and efficient. Silicone heater mats can be connected to heat control devices such as thermocouples, platinum sensors and limit switches that regulate the temperature the mat provides
Properties of Silicone

Silicone rubber has a low thermal mass, excellent insulation properties, a rugged construction and is resistant to high temperatures, moisture and many chemicals. For added strength glass fibre can be added to the silicone to give it a high mechanical strength. The use of silicone rubber enables silicone heater mats to achieve a high-power density of more watts per square inch. Silicone mats respond quickly to temperature fluctuations and can be controlled by thermostats and temperature controllers to keep process temperatures accurate. Silicone heater mats can be made to suit temperatures from -60°C to +230°C

Types
• Wire wound silicone heater mats have evenly spaced resistance wires laminated between the sheets of silicone. These heater mats are robust and are ideal for providing heating in applications where the heater is installed or removed regularly. Applications for wire wound silicone heater mats include industrial catering such as ovens, battery warming, environmental control and aircraft and laboratory equipment.
• Etched foil silicone heater mats have chemically etched foil heating tracks laminated between the sheets of silicone. These silicone heater mats heat up rapidly, produce a precise and even heat and are very temperature accurate. The etched foil heating tracks can handle applications which require higher power densities as they have a greater surface area. The foil tracks can easily be damaged by bending so these silicone heater mats are not suitable for use in applications where they are subject to a lot of flexing and bending. Applications for etched foil silicone heater mats include laboratory equipment, anti-condensation heating, GRP pipe curing systems, satellite dish snow melting

Uses
• Fast, precise and even heating for a wide range of surface heating applications.
• Used where standard heating methods are difficult to apply
• Irregularly shaped structures
• Applications where space is limited
• They are strapped to items using hooks or eyelets or a special adhesive