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Design Kits Teach Engineers about Heaters, Sensors

Corinne Litchfield

A designer and manufacturer of components for critical applications has launched two design kits to teach engineers about its flexible heaters and noninvasive sensor products. Offered by Minco (Minneapolis; www.minco.com), the kits provide engineers with a way to experiment, prototype, and learn about the company's technology.

The kits were developed in an effort to meet a growing need for engineers to "self-educate" early in the product development process. "The kits act as a first step for design engineers to test Minco heaters and sensors and ultimately find a solution to their application or problem," says heaters division marketing manager Brian Williams.

The flexible heaters prototype design kit includes 12 flexible heaters of various shapes and sizes in polyimide and silicone rubber insulation. The kit also comes with a 100 W platinum resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensor, pressure-sensitive adhesive, and silicone RTV adhesive. An accompanying design guide booklet features a start-up guide, technical specifications, application ideas, and white papers on prototyping techniques and other topics.

The noninvasive sensors design kit comes with five thermal-ribbon, thermal-tab, and bolt-on RTDs. The RTDs allow engineers to accurately gauge temperatures in places where they would otherwise have to drill or tap a sensor. A miniature TempTran temperature transmitter with 4-20 mA output and silicone stretch tape are also included in the kit. The design guide booklet contains a start-up guide, technical specifications, and white papers.

"OEM engineers have a need to teach themselves about technology and address product design concerns in the research and specification phases of the buying process," says Marty Knutson, sensors division marketing manager. "The design kits demonstrate Minco's anticipation of that need."


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