What is a printed heater?
A printed heater is a resistive heating element manufactured by depositing conductive ink onto a substrate using screen printing. When electrical current passes through the printed trace, the resistance of the ink converts electrical energy into heat. The geometry of the printed pattern (trace width, spacing, path length) determines the resistance and therefore the heat output, distribution, and power consumption.
Printed heaters are thinner, lighter, and more flexible than conventional wire-wound or etched foil heaters. They can be deposited onto flexible films, textiles, curved surfaces, and even skin-friendly biocompatible materials. This makes them suitable for applications that rigid heating elements cannot serve.
How Suryudey makes heaters
Our heaters use a silver-carbon ink system screen-printed onto TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrates. For high-temperature applications, we also print onto polyimide substrates. The silver provides high conductivity for the bus bars and connections, while the carbon provides the controlled resistance needed for heat generation.
The heater assembly is ultra-thin, achieved through precision screen printing with high-resolution mesh screens, followed by controlled curing. The result is a heater that adds no perceptible weight, stiffness, or bulk to the end product.
Thermal control is achieved through NTC (negative temperature coefficient) thermistors printed alongside the heater for real-time temperature sensing, combined with PID (proportional-integral-derivative) control algorithms in the power management electronics.
For applications requiring inherent safety without external control, we offer PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) ink formulations. PTC inks self-regulate: the ink's resistance increases sharply above a set temperature, automatically cutting off heat output without any external controller. This makes PTC heaters extremely safe for critical applications such as medical patient warming, food warming, battery thermal management, and precise industrial heating.
Transparent heaters
For applications where invisible heating is essential (defrosting, defogging, heated displays, heated glass), we can manufacture optically transparent printed heaters on request using silver nanowire inks on PET and glass substrates. These heaters maintain high optical transmission while providing uniform heat distribution across the surface.
Applications for printed heaters
Heated wearables: Our consumer brand iðoona uses our printed heater technology in heated jackets, vests, t-shirts, and gloves. The heaters are laminated between fabric layers using breathable TPU, powered by USB-C power banks.
Medical devices: Printed heaters and PTC heaters for warming blankets, therapeutic heat pads, and temperature-controlled drug delivery patches. PTC's auto-cutoff makes them ideal for patient contact applications. The thin profile and biocompatible TPU substrate make them suitable for direct skin contact.
Industrial heating: Custom heater geometries for pipe tracing, battery pre-conditioning, food warming, mirror defrosting, and equipment heating. Conformal heaters that wrap around cylindrical or irregular surfaces. Available in both low-voltage DC and high-voltage AC (110 to 220V) configurations.
Automotive and aerospace: Lightweight conformal heaters for seat heating, steering wheel heating, and ice protection on aircraft surfaces. The ultra-thin profile eliminates the weight penalty of conventional heaters.