What Is Cartridge Heaters

OVERVIEW

Cartridge heaters can be treated as “component heaters” that are used to generate heat in many areas. These heaters are widely used in the mold, dies, plates, hot stamping, plastic molding, food processing, packaging machinery, sealing, extruders, crankcase heating, hot runner molds, hot melt adhesives, process tanks, laboratory apparatus, cleaning tanks and die blocks.

Cartridge heaters can be able to carry thermocouple inside to help control the temperature. Various diameters, lengths, wattages, and voltages can be built in the cartridge heaters. And it is also used for heating metal parts and be fitted with threaded bushing for liquid heating.

Cartridge heaters can reach metal temperatures of up to 1,400⁰F and achieving watt densities of up to 260 watts per square inch.

Notes:

1. According to the different surface load, the cartridge heaters can be divided into: A (6W/cm2-12W/cm2), AA (12W/cm2 – 15W/cm2), AAA (15W/cm2 – 40W/cm2)；
2. According to different levels, we select different materials, the production cost is also different.
3. Domestic technology can only achieve 6 W/cm2, the material will be stainless steel 304, quality assurance is generally 3 months;
4. The A, AA, AAA are all imported material and imported technology, A and AA are generally made of S.S 321 from Germany or Incoloy 840. AAA is generally made of Incoloy 800 or 840. This kind of imported cartridge heaters can be guaranteed 1 year.
5. Ferro-chromium-aluminium or nickel-chromium wires are commonly used in domestic cartridge heater; Imported cartridge heaters are made of German BGH electric heating wire or American NiCr2080 resistance wire.

Performance cartridge heaters:

1. If the sheath material uses Incoloy 800, the temperature can reach to 760 C. And must use high density and high-temperature magnesia powder, the cost is also very high;
2. Maximum surface load up to 40W/cm2;
3. The maximum voltage can reach 480 VAC and the minimum voltage can reach 5 VAC.
4. The minimum diameter can be 3mm, the max can be 35mm.

Parameters of cartridge heaters:

Cautions for Use of Cartridge Heaters:

1. During the use of the high-watt density single-head electric heating tube, due to the rapid heat dissipation condition of the heating, the external stainless steel tube body is often blackened, oxidized and deformed. The internal heating element is melted by high-temperature air burning, which shortens the life of the single-head electric heating tube itself. Therefore, the excellent single-head electric heating tube not only needs good production quality but also requires that the material of the mold and the processing aperture and the diameter of the tube are as close as possible. In addition to facilitating the replacement of the single-head electric heating tube, the suitable aperture also facilitates the conduction between the thermal energy of the two and can prolong the service life of the electric heating tube of the heating tube itself.

2. The deep hole processing of the mold should pay attention to precision. It is not allowed to drill holes at both ends, because the junction cannot be tightly closed and there are large pores, so that the heat dissipation of the heating tube is poor, and the temperature of the heated body is not uniform.

3.  It should be noted that the magnesium oxide powder at the outlet end of the electric heating pipe is not exposed to contaminants and moisture in the place of use to prevent leakage, and it is preferable to reserve 5 mm outside the mold.

4. It is best to preheat for 5 minutes when starting up the electric heating tube, so as to avoid the danger of electric leakage due to moisture or moisture infiltrating into the tube. The electric heating machine must be installed with a grounding wire.