Birk Manufacturing Inc.

Flexible heaters are often utilized by design engineers because their application requires even heat distribution in a very specific area. Etched foil flexible heaters are also used in applications where surface mount heat is required due to physical constraints. Custom shapes, buildups, multiple circuits, shaded watt densities and thicknesses allow for flexible heaters to be fully customized meeting the exact requirements of any application while offering a robust product which will stand the test of time. Birk's flexible heaters are made using materials such as silicone rubber, Kapton®, mica and butyl. Each material has its own features and benefits while all of them provide great temperature ranges. Depending on your application requirements specific materials can be utilized to resist chemicals, UV rays, and moisture.

Birk's Mica heaters are designed for applications that require higher than normal watt densities and fast temperature recovery. Our customized Mica heaters have shaded watt densities for even heat distribution. These heaters are manufactured with specialized Phlogopite (mica paper) as the insulation material. This mica paper is mica mineral (Phlogopite) then infused with a high temperature heat resisting polymer, thus creating a high temperature, thin insulator. During the manufacturing process, the infused polymer helps the mica heating element to become formable. Heaters can be shaped into the form of curves, cylindrical shapes and 2D geometric designs. Mica heaters are designed for clamped applications making them ideal for hot plates, metal strip heaters and surfaces where direct contact is not an issue. Final heat curing can provide enhanced stringency to the mica heating element if deemed necessary by the application requirements.

Birk's silicone heaters are rugged, flexible, waterproof and chemical resistant. They can be combined with many components. Thermostats, fuses, thermocouples, RTDs, thermistors, connectors, heat sinks, wiring harnesses, motors or any other hardware our customer desires are available upon request. Depending on your application needs, Birk manufactures both resistance wire and etched foil circuits in our silicone rubber heaters. There are advantages to each circuit type. Resistance wire is more robust in dynamic applications requiring a silicone heater and foil circuits are a perfect match for applications requiring very even heat distribution. Both circuit types can be designed with varying watt densities, dual voltages and multiple heated zones.

• Probe lengths1”, 6”, 9”, 12”

high temperature RTD elements or thermocouples that have been assembled within stainless steel casings to offer additional protection in rigorous applications and elevated temperatures. These temperature sensing probes are perfect for installations within channels, thermowells, organic liquids, salt solutions, acids and bases. RTD temperature probes using Teflon® lead wiring provide the ability to retrofit smaller profiles and are extremely resistant to chemical seepage. Thermocouple temperature probes are assembled using fiberglass lead wires provide to higher temperature ranges and greater flexibility.

• Silver Leads200°C to + 400°C
• Platinum Leads200°C to + 600°C

Birk Manufacturing is one of the leading Kapton® heating manufacturers in the United States. Birk's Kapton® heaters provide even distribution of heat and exhibit exceptionally fast rates of thermal recovery. These Kapton® film heaters are thin and an ideal solution for small profile andor complex two-dimensional applications. Birk understands that there are many variations in heating requirements. Therefore, Birk provides Kapton® heating solutions of the highest quality. Dependent of your applications needs, Birk's Kapton® heaters can be directly bonded to high temperature surface to provide permanent bonding and superior heat transfer.In many cases Birk's Kapton® film heaters are designed to provide immediate integration into assemblies which include sensors, heat sinks, fuses, probes and electronics. Many of these products are completely assembled and tested at Birk. They are then shipped directly for our customer's inventory allowing for a "turn-key" solution. These "turn-key" solutions reduce cost, assembly time and the size of our customer's vendor base allowing for easier inventory management and reduced labor costs.ustomized Kapton® heaters can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes with custom watt densities. Birk's heaters can incorporate multiple heating zones and embedded sensors which can be utilized to ensure very uniform heat distribution, down to +- 0.1°C in some cases. Our highly technically trained engineers and design team members can design our Kapton® heaters to operate even in high vacuum environments.