A major manufacturer of valves and actuators approached Tempco to provide a heating solution for an environmental problem they faced with their line of actuators. An actuator is a component of a machine or device that is responsible for converting input to either create or control movement. Our customer’s actuators are mounted on valves that are used to open and close doors or hatches on silos. They are often exposed to temperatures that fall well below freezing. The actuator housings are made from an aluminum casting and are filled with a lubrication oil. Due to the properties of the lubrication oil, the actuators have a minimum ambient temperature rating of 14°F which is not low enough for many outdoor applications.

The requirements that the heating solution needed to meet include:

• Ability to adhere heating element to the actuator housing
• Ease of installation to ensure that actuators already in the field could be retrofitted
• Being able to operate at below-freezing temperatures within set parameters

Tempco developed a small, silicone rubber heater for this application. There are many design features that make it ideal for this agricultural application:

• Flexible heater is rated for 15 Watts at 115 VAC
• PSA adhesive backing allows the heater to be mounted directly onto the actuator housing
• Teflon® lead wires are 12 inches long
• Lead wire is protected by silicone tubing along its length to protect it from the environment
• The 12-inch lead wire length allows the heater to be connected to the actuator's terminal box to draw power
• An inline snap-action thermostat closes at 32°F to start the heater and opens at 50°F to turn off the heater