Why Tempco Cartridge Heaters are Ideal for the Food & Beverage Industry

Three Tacos - Food and Beverage Industry

The Cartridge Heater is a reliable electric heating element used across many industries as a localized heat source within industrial processing equipment. One such industry is the Food and Beverage Industry which is in constant need of precise heating elements for all of its activities such as:

Preparation
Processing
Preservation
Packaging

Custom-designed or ready from stock, a Tempco cartridge heater can be built with watt densities as high as 300 W/square inch, reaching working temperatures up to 1400°F. Tempco offers a variety of options with our cartridge heater design features:

Electrical terminations
Termination options
Sheath options
Temperature sensor options
Power variations

Perhaps the most important design features for food and beverage processing are the available sheath materials and options. Besides our standard 321 Stainless Steel and Incoloy® 800 sheath materials, Tempco also offers 316L Stainless Steel, which is considered to be the best food-grade stainless steel. When combined with Passivation, a chemical process that removes surface contamination, and Electro-Polishing, a process that removes surface imperfections and contaminants, these materials offer excellent corrosion protection. Tempco manufactures our own standard and custom fittings for various mounting options and moisture resistant terminations that are also important within the industry.

With almost 50 years of experience in designing and manufacturing heating elements, Tempco produces a large variety of cartridge heaters that can be used in any imaginable food and beverage process application such as:

Baking Equipment
Beverage Carbonation
Candy Making Equipment
Coffee Makers

Dairy Equipment
Food Warmers
Grills – igniting wood pellets
Refrigeration Equipment

Sealing Bars for Packaging Machines
Smokers
Water heating

Custom Cartridge Heaters for Food and Beverage Industry Applications

Formed High Density Cartridge Heater for Food Packaging Machinery

3D model for Formed Tempco Cartridge Heater

Design Features

Cartridge heater formed into circular formation
- When a formed heater is required, a tubular element is usually the first choice. However, when the watt density is too high for a tubular heating element, a Tempco Hi-Density Cartridge Heater is a viable alternative.
Moisture resistant seal and flexible SJO cord

Cartridge Heaters used in Flour Tortilla Press

Group of Tempco Cartridge Heaters for Tortilla Press

Tortilla Processing Equipment

Design Features:

Designed for high voltage use
Electrical Termination is screw terminals to enable quick connection of the power cable
Moisture resistant seal
Mounting flange

Self-controlled Low-Density Cartridge Heater for Film Wrapping Machine

Group of Self-Controlled Tempco Cartridge Heaters

Film Packaging Machine

Design Features:

Uniform heat distribution across application
Built-in thermostat allows for self-controlled temperature
Quick disconnect electrical termination
Stainless Steel cable for abrasion protection on electrical termination

High Density Cartridge Heater for Beverage Carbonation

Tempco Cartridge Heaters for Beverage Carbonation Machine

Beverage Carbonating Processing Machine

Design Features:

Custom, Tempco-made fitting for the mounting option
Built-in thermostat allows for self-controlled temperature
Moisture resistant seal
SJO cord

With our engineering expertise and unique Manufacturing capabilities, Tempco can address the challenges of original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) and maintenance (MRO) applications within the food and beverage industry. In addition, we offer services that drastically reduce the normal delivery time. The Pronto service can be used for non-stock and custom manufactured heaters, while the Terminator service offers 1-3 day delivery on custom-terminated cartridge heater substrates. For a complete thermal loop, Tempco also manufactures Temperature Sensors and Temperature Control Products.