PTC inks - Controlling temperature in electronic devices

Avoid hot spots in your printed circuits

A Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heating element has a certain resistance. With PTC inks, the resistance increases together with the temperature. When a voltage is applied a current will flow and power is generated. The heater heats up and the resistance increases. At a certain temperature, an equilibrium is reached, that&#;s a self-regulating heater!

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from PAKE.

These products are carbon based PTC inks with different &#;switch off&#; temperatures for low voltage (<50 Volt) applications. They can be applied by screen printing and are compatible with polyester foil, several silver inks, dielectric inks and spacer tapes.

 Increased Safety

With PTC* Inks, no risks of overheating! Select the ink according to your target temperature and print the heating elements of any electronic applications.

Adaptable design 

Design is very important and requires information like heater dimensions, temperature needed, substrate, voltage used and required power. With light and thin layers, the design of your circuit can be easily adjusted to the shape of the surface that needs to be heated.

Cost-effective and sustainable  

Compared to etch processes, PTC inks uses a screen-printing process allowing for reduced waste of material. A great cost/benefit option!

PTC heaters requires the use of silver inks to print busbars and contact areas. Reduced resistance of silver ink will improve the current capacity of the busbar. Loctite ECI is the most recommended silver ink for PTC heater. It combines excellent conductivity with optimum mechanical strength.

Are you interested in learning more about Ptc Inks? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

A new product development is currently on-going targeting high voltage PTC heaters (up to 250 V) with higher resistance level and a temperature of 60°C. If interested by this type of products, let us know.

The Tetrachim team is at your service to select  the right inks for your application.

Today let&#;s have a closer look at PTC inks, where PTC stands for Positive Temperature Coefficient. This new kind of inks that are specifically designed for cutting-edge heating applications Printed Electronics and that Silga uses for its Flexible Heaters, ensures safe and efficient results, with a wide range of applications, from automotive, to medical and white goods.

Going further, PTC inks are made of resistive inks, able to perform self-regulation: when the electrical resistance increases, so does the temperature, while the electrical current decreases, until finding a balance that maintains constant the heating power. This process makes PTC inks suitable for multiple purposes and application fields, going from side mirrors, defoggers, wearable devices and so on.

Talking about the benefits linked to the use of PTC inks on Flexible Heaters in Printed Electronics, there are:

• Safety and Comfort: since the temperature is maintained constant and it regulates itself, there are lower risks of hot spots and a more uniform heating is achieved, leading also to a longer life of the product;
• Energy Saving: PTC inks adjust the resistive coefficient according to temperature and create a balance, so that the electrical energy that passes through is maintained constant and does not lead to an over consumption;
• Flexibility and Lightweight: PTC inks can be applied on several different types of substrates.

Silga has implemented this new technology on its Printed Electronics Flexible Heaters to provide an efficient, safe and sustainable solution for the TMS (Thermal Management System) on different fields and continues in the constant research of new technologies that can enhance the features of our products.

Contact us to receive more information and to develop customized solutions to your needs.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Tubular Heater Diagram.