Nexthermal Industrial Heating Solutions

Engineering Services

As you engage Nexthermal our goal is that you conclude we are:

Approachable — Welcoming discussion, highly interested in the details of your

application. Sincerely committed to helping you succeed.

Dynamic — Responding with a sense of urgency, proactively anticipating and

planning for challenges, demonstrating agility that incorporates your input and

experience to accelerate the best solution.

Knowledgeable — Our application experience, ability to understand

your process, generating market driven solutions should lead you to

clearly see that Nexthermal is your heat management expert.

International — United States roots with a global reach. With customers and

strategic partners worldwide Nexthermal has the resources to generate the right

solution to you delivering world class benefits well beyond your investment in our

products and services.

Our History

• 1986 - Hotset Corporation established in Battle Creek, Michigan as a separate entity and strategic partner to Hotset GmbH

• 1991 - Initial cartridge heater produced

• 1998 - U.S. coil heater production launched

• 2003 - Production facility expanded

• 2004 - Heater based assemblies unveiled

• 2007 - Manufacturing in Bangalore, India - Introduced anti-seize coating and highly moisture resistant coil heater head

• 2008 - Selected as the exclusive Elstein marketing agent in the United States

- Engineering Services Team Created

• 2009 - Hotflow circulation heater invented, targeting electric vehicle, medical and food production markets

• 2010 - Renamed Nexthermal to emphasize commitment to heat management solutions worldwide. Location, manufacturing facilities and staff remain the same.

- Introduced eheat, energy efficient cartridge heaters

Let us be your R&D!

If heat is essential to your process, systematic heat management thinking and development is key to your competitive edge. Nexthermal is committed to make our best resources – people, tools, testing, and facilities – available to accelerate your success. Your R&D department just cost effectively extended it’s capabilities.

Typical Product Development Cycle

Idea Design Prototype Testing Analysis

Iteration for each learning phase, multiple expenses of prototypes and testing for each design

Design modificationfor each learning phase

Product Development with CAE

Idea Design Design Analysis

Prototype

Verification

Design modification

Lower risk of final testing not meeting customers needs

Quality as a Foundation

• Certified ISO 2001: 2008 standard• In 2001, Nexthermal was the first electric

heater manufacturer in the world to become certified under ISO 2001: 2000 standard

• All outgoing product is 100% checked for safety, performance and fit metrics

• All raw materials are checked with traceable certificate to prove acceptance

• All customer returns are diagnosed for root cause, regardless of cost

Materials and Construction

• Materials• Stainless steel 321 vs. 316

• Ti content resists intergranular corrosion at higher temperatures

• Heat treated in special atmospheric oven to realign grain structure for flexibility

• High purity MgO reduces electrical leakage and improves safety

• Further processed by Nexthermal for performance• Heat treated resistance wire to provide long life

• Construction• Highly compacted, improves heat transfer - better

heater life• Unique assembly process controls wire position after

forming• Controlled heat pattern

• Welded electrical connections provide cleanest signal

Coil Heater

• ‘Other’ Heater- note the twist in the resistance wire

• Poor heat management = Poor system efficiency

Coil Heater

• X-ray sample of our coil heater showing resistance wire placement

• Improved performance and improved heat transfer efficiency

Nozzle Design for Optimal Heat Transfer

• Nozzle diameter tolerance for good heat transfer (important for heater ID)

• Minimum heat loss with adequate wattage distribution to offset

• Tip geometry to limit heat loss but engineered to prevent drool (correct design of contact and sealing surface)

• Minimum clearance from OD of heater to bore

Pressed in Brass vs. Reflection Sheath

Note the reflection tube pushes the heat into the tool-Less heat loss = more heat transfer to application (~15-20% reduction in watts needed)- Lower duty cycle = Higher efficiency

Pressed in Brass Pressed in Brass with reflection

Nozzle Design Optimal Heat Transfer

• Nozzle diameter tolerance for good heat transfer (important for heater ID)

• Minimum heat loss with adequate wattage distribution to offset

• Tip geometry to limit heat loss but engineered to prevent drool (correct design of contact and sealing surface)

• Minimum clearance from OD of heater to bore

Effect of Additional Windings

Uniform heat – but not needed – Waste of energy, breakdown of plastic resin (FLIR photo)

Nozzle Profile without Reflection Tube

Good heat profile, but open coils allow heat loss

Thick Film Heater (competitor)

Too much heat in the center, not efficient

Injection Nozzle Profiling with Reflection Tube

• Good heat profile

• Wattage reduced by 20%

• Higher efficiency

• Lower scrap

Innovative Solutions

HotFlowModular Circulation Heater

By managing the fluid path and heat transfer area, we developed a high thermal efficiency fluid heater that outperforms standard immersion heater designs

HotFlow - Improving Electric Vehicle Battery Performance and

Life

Hole Punch Heater

Due to the way standard cartridge heaters are used, heat is being created at exactly the wrong place for the application need

• Using a replaceable mini coil on a replaceable tool

• Tool wear is independent of heater, replace only when needed

• Heat is focused into the tool

Coated Heater

• Benefits of Anti-Seize Coating• Reduced cost due to faster replacement, minimum tool

damage and rework time• Quick, easy removal of heater after burn out• Improved heat transfer due to special composition• Special compound acts as a corrosion barrier• Protects the heater bore from galling

Energy Saving

•Reduces amount of energy to meet temperature set point by 24.3%

•Replaces SS321 heater sheath with a highly thermally conductive alloy

• SS321 = 16 – 22W/mK• New alloy = 159 W/mK• 622% improvement in

rate of thermal transfer from heater to jaw

•Capable of a sustained 600o F operating temperature

11:31.2

11:48.5

12:05.8

12:23.0

12:40.3

12:57.6

13:14.9

13:32.2

13:49.4

14:06.7Eheat vs Standard heater

eHeatStandard

Min

ute

s -

Sec

on

ds

Improving versatility and use of existing product

• Using a Ø3.2mm (0.125”), Ø1.8mm or a Ø1.4mm tubular heater form around heat loss areas

• Only heat the need

Mini ManifoldForm in Place Heater

Nexthermal developed product helps PCRcompany revolutionize PCR disease detection

affordability and portability

PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) Block

PCR Well Heating System

In House Lab Services

• Prototype services for custom design, validation and development

• Test services for temperature profiling, reliability/performance testing and other applications with minimum engineering charge

Computer Aided Engineering

• Opportunity:• Work as a design partner to show effects of heat transfer

• Pictures create understanding, and choices

• In its simplest terms, design analysis is a software technology for simulating physical behavior of a product.

• Will it break?

• Will it deform?

• Will it get too hot?

• Where are the system inefficiencies and how to best address them

• Current market:• Limited design support with other suppliers

• Costly for FEA support

TC to Heater RelationshipMaterial Thickness Relationship

• With proper material thickness, heat will be distributed over the application better.

• Thermocouple will read an accurate temperature, prevent overshoot

Types of Analysis

• Steady-state and transient thermal analysis• Linear and Contact stress analysis

• Static• Drop test• Fatigue

• Frequency model analysis• Buckling analysis• Pressure - flow analysis• Design Optimization

Plate with Coil Heater (working surface shown)

Higher temperatures demand a higher class of fit to the application to reduce the radiation losses from the heater

Note shadow effect behind

bolt hole

Hot due to thicker section

8 cartridge heaters

Plate designStandard heater power in each location

Reduced temperature

variance, further

improvement possible

with distributed

wattage

Plate designStaggered heater power, without internal wattage distribution

Packaging Jawwithout wattage distribution

66% of jaw face within 6°F

Packaging Jawwith wattage distribution

86% of jaw face within 6°F

Any Questions?

?

Thank You!