Components such as water pipes and valves designed for aerospace applications often face many unique challenges. One of the main challenges is high altitude operation with ambient temperatures around -50°F. Heating of these components is almost always necessary to avoid icing and ensure pumps work seamlessly without disruption in flow. Any buildup of ice within pipes at such a high altitude and low temperature could be catastrophic. 

A customer facing this exact issue approached Tempco. This company, who supplies the aerospace industry with parts and accessories, was in need of a heating solution for a motorized water valve. This water valve was located in an unpressurized and unheated portion of the aircraft. Piping before and after the valve was heated but heat also needed to be applied to the valve itself. This would ensure no icing would occur as the liquid passed through the valve body. The geometry of the valve body was small and intricate. Tempco knew that the only way to effectively apply heat was to design a three dimensional (3D) formed silicone rubber heater.