Syringe Heater Offers Consistent Material Viscosity

Originally Published MPMN October 2005

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Syringe Heater Offers Consistent Material Viscosity

A provider of dispensing products has released a syringe heater designed for programmable temperature control and the preheating of dispense materials. DL Technology LLC (Haverhill, MA) developed the product to ensure consistent material viscosity in precision applications. The heater is manufactured primarily for use in heating materials for such precision operations as flip-chip underfill and encapsulation.

Equipped with a line of microdispensing and Hy-Flo valves, the company tackled a problem it faced in the manufacturing industry. Because overseas facilities often lack temperature control, subsequent swings in ambient temperature can affect the viscosity of necessary materials, according to the company.

In response to this issue, DL Technology developed a heated pump that simultaneously enabled the precise dispensation of liquids while controlling the variable of temperature. The syringe heater evolved on the heels of the company's release of the heated pump, but was targeted at the heating of materials for precision dispensation applications in high volumes. "The heater is not only for heating materials, but also for stabilizing the process in the uncontrolled environment," says Jeff Fugere, president of DL Technology.

To ensure consistent material viscosity, the heater features programmable temperature control. Heat is retained and conducted directly to the syringe due to its aluminum composition, while heat transfer to the valve or motor is curtailed by nonconductive mounting. The heater is available in 10 and 30 cm3 sizes, and operates at 24 V.

The heater also complements the company's Hy-Flo valve, a product that includes closed-loop temperature control in a range of ambient to 100°C via an embedded thermocouple.

"Our heaters are looped into the control of the process. What we have is a programmable syringe heater and programmable pump heater," says Fugere. "So, when they are used in combination, the bottom line is that we have total thermal control of the dispense process."

Shana Leonard

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