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 its capabilities.

Typical Product Development Cycle

Design modification for each learning phase

Idea

Design

Prototype

Testing

Analysis

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

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

Pressed in Brass Pressed in Brass with reflection

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

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

HotFlow
Modular 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
14:06.7

13:49.4

13:32.2

13:14.9 Minutes - Seconds

12:57.6

12:40.3

eHeat Standard

12:23.0

12:05.8

11:48.5

11:31.2

Mini Manifold Form in Place Heater

Improving versatility and use of existing product

Using a 3.2mm (0.125), 1.8mm or a 1.4mm tubular heater form around heat loss areas Only heat the need

PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) Block Nexthermal developed product helps PCR company revolutionize PCR disease detection affordability and portability

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 Relationship Material 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

Plate design
Standard heater power in each location 8 cartridge heaters

Hot due to thicker section

Note shadow effect behind bolt hole

Plate design
Staggered heater power, without internal wattage distribution

Reduced temperature variance, further improvement possible with distributed wattage

Packaging Jaw
without wattage distribution

66% of jaw face within 6F

Packaging Jaw
with wattage distribution

86% of jaw face within 6F

Any Questions?

Thank You!