Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

At the conclusion of our webinar, Why High-Tech Multi-Layer PCB Features Add Cost and Processing Time, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Angie Brown, PCB Product Manager at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.

Flexible heaters offer a way for commercial, industrial, and mil-aero applications to receive the desired heat at specific places. These heaters can be used for multiple purposes, from keeping food warm in cafeterias and drying up condensation in aerospace control panels to being used to control temperatures in medical equipment.

At the conclusion of our webinar, Dealing With Component Shortages That Impact Battery Packs Designs, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Randy Ibrahim, Battery Development Consultant at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.

Solid modeling is the process of constructing a 3D model through a series of additive and subtractive operations while always maintaining a calculable volume. Surface modeling is the process of constructing a 3D model through the process of defining each of the faces that are present in its geometry.

Although there are best practices when it comes to 3D modeling, every designer ends up developing their own style of modeling. This can cause challenges when you are tasked with working with someone else’s model. It can become frustrating when you go to make an edit that causes other parts of the model to change or fail entirely.

At the conclusion of our webinar, How to Properly Select LEDs for Your Keypad, we had several questions submitted to our presenter, Steven J. Goodman, User Interface and Cable Assembly Product Manager at Epec. We have compiled these questions into a readable format on our blog.

Flexible heaters are essential devices to provide heat to specific areas of an application. They are used in a wide range of industries including aerospace, medical, food service, and military. When applying heat to a surface, the right types of materials must be used for the heater. The heater must be flexible enough to bend and wrap around curved surfaces while avoiding working parts. They also have to be able to provide optimal heat transfer without damaging either the application or the heater’s elements and circuitry.

Flexible heaters allow customers to apply heat at targeted areas at any given moment. This procedure is desired for applications for a variety of reasons, such as preventing condensation to form on instrument panels, keeping the consistency of semi-fluid materials so that they may pass through pipe systems, or keeping systems warm during extreme environmental temperatures.

Flexible heaters are used in applications to keep systems, electronics, and products at the appropriate temperatures utilize a range of materials and thicknesses to achieve optimal heat output. Often when reaching out to a manufacturer, the customer will be asked to provide specifications regarding the application. The manufacturer will need to understand the wattage desired for the flexible heater and the temperature output that the flexible heater will provide.

Flexible heaters are used in numerous industries to provide heat in a selective area to deal with; condensation and mist, food processes, keeping electronics warm due to environmental temperature changes or keeping liquids in a fluid state. Temperature sensors are used to monitor the temperature of the flexible heater as well as the surface that is being heated.