Electric heater plates are ceramic heating elements used in the manufacture of industrial ovens and furnaces. They are simultaneously designed to heat the internal chamber of an oven with good uniformity, while insulating the sensitive mechanics and the exterior of industrial equipment. This is achieved by combining high-strength metal wiring with thermally-efficient ceramic materials, enabling electric heater plates to operate at temperatures exceeding 1200°C (2200°F).

Electric heater plates are most commonly manufactured as flat profiles with grooves of varying lengths and widths to accommodate electrical wiring or coils. These wires, or the conductive element of the electric heater plate, are manufactured from thermally conductive metal alloys such as iron-chrome-aluminum. An external lead supplies the wires or coils with a wattage of up to 14,400 W to generate refractory temperatures in an oven’s heating chamber. With a potential voltage exceeding 460 V, it is important that the electric heater plates are fitted with high-quality leads that meet multiple certifications. Some of the most common lead styles include:

• Single conductors;
• Twisted pairs;
• Rods;
• Pads or bars.

Each of these exhibits different mechanical properties. Twisted pairs, for example, fold the conductive wires back upon themselves in multiple twists to maximize its effective cross-sectional area. These leads can all be formed to unique specifications, to improve product integration in a workshop or factory.

As these conductive elements can generate temperatures that regularly exceed 1200°C, the insulating component of the electric heater plate must be able to withstand them. Cast electric heater plates are manufactured using high-quality refractory ceramic, with options for exposing, partially-embedding, and fully-embedding conductive elements into the ceramic substrate via grooves. The low thermal-conductivity of refractory ceramics enables improved heat radiation throughout a heating chamber, with fully-tunable surface area watt densities and wattage per square inch of the radiating surface.

If necessary, electric heater plates can be designed to custom shapes, with flanged sides for application in box heaters or bespoke shapes for specialized industries.

Electric Heater Plates from Thermcraft

Thermcraft is a global supplier of outstanding heat processing equipment, with a robust product catalog of ready to order furnaces, ovens, and heat treatment components for an enormous range of product applications.

Our cast ceramic electric heater plates are available under two product specifications: PH-C; and FPH-C. These categories include plate heaters with and without flanges, at standard thicknesses ranging from 1” – 2”.

If you would like any more information about our electric heater plates or would like to order a custom heating product, please do not hesitate to contact us.