Frequently Asked Questions

The range is broad. Tempco manufactures cast-in band heaters, thermal platens, motor housings, feed pipes, ring heaters, barrel heaters, circulation heaters, platen die heaters, and complex geometric thermal components. If a surface or component needs to be maintained at a precise temperature and can be cast in aluminum, brass, or bronze, it is a candidate for a cast-in heating solution.

Cast-in heaters are thermal components in which Tempco’s tubular heating elements are permanently embedded directly into a metal casting during the foundry process. The result is a single, integrated part where the heater and the structural component are one thereby eliminating the air gap present with clamped-on heaters and enabling far more efficient and uniform heat transfer to the target surface or medium.

Tempco casts in aluminum, brass, and bronze, each suited to different application requirements. Aluminum is the most common choice due to its excellent thermal conductivity, light weight, and machinability. Brass and bronze offer greater corrosion resistance and are preferred in certain chemical, food processing, and fluid-contact applications where aluminum is not appropriate.

The elimination of the air gap is the defining advantage. With conventional band, strip, or tubular heaters clamped to a surface, even a small gap between the heater and the component dramatically reduces heat transfer efficiency. Cast-in heaters conform perfectly to the heated surface because they are part of it, producing faster heat-up times, more uniform temperature distribution, and lower operating temperatures at the element for a given heat output, which extends heater life.

Yes. Tempco can cast cooling passages directly into the same component as the heating elements, creating a single thermal management unit capable of both heating and cooling. This is particularly valuable in plastics processing applications where the barrel or platen must be heated for processing and then cooled rapidly for cycle time reduction, all within one integrated assembly.

Tempco uses three casting processes depending on volume and geometry. No-bake sand molding is used for low-volume aluminum, bronze, and brass cast-ins and is ideal for large, irregular shapes and thermal platens. Tilt-pour gravity feed is used for medium-to-high volume aluminum cast-ins, producing good dimensional accuracy and surface finish. Permanent molds are used for higher-volume runs where repeatable dimensional consistency is critical.

Tempco’s electric reverb and induction furnaces minimize gas inclusion into the molten metal, producing denser, higher-quality castings compared to gas-fired alternatives. Reduced porosity directly improves thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. Tempco also operates an in-house pattern shop that builds and maintains the wood and plastic patterns required for sand mold casting.

Yes. When a tolerance or geometric feature cannot be achieved as-cast, Tempco’s full-service CNC machine shop performs all required precision machining in-house. This includes lathes, 12 CNC mills, and boring mills capable of achieving repeatable accuracy on complex geometries.

Cast-in heaters are most prevalent in plastics processing, particularly in injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding where precise, uniform barrel and platen temperatures are critical. Beyond plastics, Tempco cast-in thermal components are used in semiconductor manufacturing, food and beverage processing, aerospace, medical device manufacturing, packaging machinery, and any application requiring an engineered surface held at a precise, uniform temperature.