Heat tapes and their versatile alternatives

Are you looking for a heating element that

✓ offers even heat distribution over large areas?
✓ is more adaptable to complex shapes and flat applications than conventional heat tapes?
✓ is more robust and resistant to mechanical stress?
✓ is manufactured efficiently and can be quickly integrated into your production?

Then Embro’s electric heat mats are the ideal alternative to classic heat tapes! Our innovative heating elements offer maximum flexibility, precise heat distribution and long-lasting quality – ‘Made in Germany’ and ‘Made in Europe’.

Greater design freedom, better heat distribution and more durable quality

Electric heat mats instead of heat tapes: more flexibility and performance

Whether in industry, medical technology or vehicle construction – when it comes to efficient heat transfer, as a manufacturer you have the choice between conventional heat tapes and innovative heating solutions. While heat tapes have been specially developed for the linear heating of pipes, containers and machine components, textile electric heat mats offer a flexible, large-area and adaptable alternative.

Which solution is better suited to your requirements? We show you the most important differences between heat tapes and electric heating elements from Embro – so that you can make the best decision for your application.

Rely on future-proof heating technology – flexible, efficient and customised for your application!

Are you aware of these challenges when using heat tapes?

✓ Do you criticise the limited adaptability of heat tapes for flat applications or flexible shapes, which leads to higher production costs?
✓ Does the uneven heat distribution with hotspots lead to quality fluctuations in the end product for applications that require a constant temperature over a larger area?
✓ Are your heat tapes being damaged by repeated bending, vibration or mechanical stress, causing higher maintenance, premature failure or higher costs?
✓ Do you have problems with slow response times and want more efficient energy utilisation and better controllability?
✓ Do you want to integrate the function of heat tapes into smart textiles or flexible applications and are coming up against technological limits?

Electric heat mats from Embro offer a versatile, durable and more efficient alternative. They are flexibly customisable, mechanically resistant and enable even heat distribution – ideal for demanding industrial applications.

Rely on heating technology that adapts to your requirements – flexible, efficient and durable. Let’s work together to develop the perfect solution for your application!

Heat tapes or textile electric heat mats?

Heat tapes

Heat tapes are narrow, flexible heating elements that have been specially developed for heating pipes, containers or specific components. They consist of an electrically conductive heating wire that is coated with heat-resistant insulation materials such as silicone, PTFE or glass fibre.

This structure makes heat tapes particularly suitable for sheathing heating tasks in industrial applications. They are particularly suitable for pipes, tanks and containers where targeted temperature control is required along a specific route.

However, they reach their limits when large-area heating or a high mechanical load capacity is required. In such cases, flexible electric heating elements or heat mats offer a more powerful alternative.

Heat tape: flexible, textile heating element manufactured by Embro

Electric heating elements and heat mats from Embro

Electric heat mats from Embro are highly flexible, textile heating elements that have been specially developed for large-area and adaptable heat transfer. They consist of finely integrated heating conductors that are applied to a carrier material made of fabric or other flexible materials.

This innovative design allows heat mats to distribute heat evenly over large areas and adapt individually to different shapes and geometries. They are ideal for applications in medical technology, the automotive and aviation industries as well as for industrial heating systems where a constant temperature and high mechanical strength are required.

Compared to heat tapes, electric heat mats are more resistant to vibrations, dynamic movements and mechanical loads. In addition, they offer an energy-efficient solution with faster response times and better controllability – the ideal choice for manufacturers who rely on durable and powerful heating technologies.

Innovative alternative: heat mats manufactured by Embro

With our innovative embroidery technology, heating conductors or heating wires are precisely applied to a textile carrier material. This technology offers a highly flexible and customisable heating solution that is particularly suitable for demanding and large-area applications.

Main advantages of Embro heating elements & heat mats

Even heat distribution over large areas: Unlike heat tapes, which are designed for linear heating, our heat mats offer even heat distribution over a large area. This is particularly important for applications where uniform heating is required, e.g. in medical therapy or for heated seats.

Customisation: Our heat mats can be produced in different sizes and shapes to adapt to complex geometries. Whether round, curved or irregular surfaces – the mats can be customised precisely to your application requirements.

Robust: Our heat mats are not only flexible, but also robust. This makes them particularly effective in dynamic environments. The flexible wire in combination with textile fabric as a carrier material ensures an efficient design.

Do you need a custom heating element for your product? We look forward to hearing your ideas!

The differences between heat tapes and heating elements

Flexibility and mouldability: Although conventional heat tapes are flexible, they are primarily designed to wrap around cylindrical objects. Our heat mats, on the other hand, are not only flat but also highly adaptable in shape, making them ideal for applications where the heat source needs to be integrated into a wide variety of surfaces.

Integration into textile applications & smart textiles: Heat mats can be seamlessly integrated into textile products, making them the perfect choice for heatable clothing, blankets or seating. Heat tapes are less suitable for such applications.

Safety and protection: The construction of our heat mats ensures greater mechanical resilience. They are resistant to breakage and can absorb mechanical shocks better, while heat tapes wear out more quickly due to constant bending or extreme conditions.

Weight and thickness: Heat mats are light and thin, which makes them advantageous for applications where space and weight are an issue. Heat tapes are often thicker and heavier – some even made of metal – which can limit their applications.

Thermal inertia: Our heat mats are characterised by lower thermal inertia, which means they heat up and cool down faster. Heat tapes, on the other hand, can take longer to reach a stable temperature due to their design.

Possible applications for our heat mats

Medical applications: Ideal for integration into medical equipment, treatment tables and blankets to provide comfort and therapeutic warmth to patients. The electric heat mats allow for even temperature distribution and are customisable to the shape and size of the application.

Automotive and aviation industry: Here, our heating elements offer flexible and customised solutions, e.g. for seat heating in aircraft or for anti-icing systems in caravans, caravans and motorhomes. They ensure even heat distribution, are lightweight and space-saving, making them ideal for use in vehicles and aeroplanes, where weight and efficiency are crucial.

Industrial application: The heating systems offer large-area and even heat distribution and can be flexibly adapted to machine components of different geometries. They are particularly suitable for heating large metal parts or complex machine components where uniform heating is required.

Heat tape: flexible, textile heating element as pipe trace heating manufactured by Embro

Summary: Why electric heat mats are convincing

Electric heat mats offer decisive advantages over heat tapes: even heat distribution, high flexibility and maximum mechanical resilience. While heat tapes are designed for linear applications, heat mats enable precise and efficient heating over a wide area – ideal for dynamic and complex applications. They react more quickly to temperature changes, are mechanically more resilient and can be customised.

Rely on modern, high-performance heating technology and benefit from a durable, efficient and custom solution for your complex industrial application.

Flexible, textile Heizmatten als Heizmäntel - die Alternative zu Folienheizung und Folienheizelementen

Features of embroidered electric heat mats

Embro’s technically embroidered flexible heating elements and electric heat mats are suitable for many industrial applications. They score with the following characteristics:

Temperatures up to 400 °C possible
Very fast and homogeneous heat distribution
Electronically adjustable with thermal switch
Even temperature distribution or partial heating
Uninsulated, single insulated or double insulated
Suitable for sewing in (seat heating or technical textiles) or gluing in with adhesive or self-adhesive
Highly flexible & kink-resistant

Flexible heating elements Made in Germany
and Made in Europe

Embro is a developer and manufacturer of high-performance heat mats for further processing in your product.

Electric heating elements from Embro are lightweight, kink-resistant and inexpensive to manufacture.

Textile heat mats with embroidered heating conductors impress with these advantages:

✓ Heating elements with customised shape, size & heat output
✓ Large selection of flexible carrier materials for your application
✓ Suitable layout for your requirements
✓ Particularly large mats up to 10,000 mm possible
✓ Production of large and small series with high productivity and repeat accuracy

Radiolucent patient warming systems ► Heat mats with carbon fibers ► Cost-effective and safe ► Protection against hypothermia

Markus Flechsing

Love0

Flexible heat mats for pipe trace heating systems as frost protection manufactured by Embro

12. June 2024

Flexible heating mats as pipe trace heating – frost protection

Frost protection with pipe trace heating ► Cost-effective series production ✓ flexible heating conductor for easy installation

Markus Flechsing

Love0

All products & Embro technologies

Textile sensors and antennas manufactured by Embro

Textile sensors & antenna structures

Functional textiles
for medical applications

Smart textiles for wearables manufactured by Embro

Smart textiles
& wearable e-textiles

Tailored fibre placement for composites manufactured by Embro

Heat tapes and their versatile alternatives

Electric heat mats instead of heat tapes: more flexibility and performance

Are you aware of these challenges when using heat tapes?

Heat tapes or textile electric heat mats?

Heat tapes

Electric heating elements and heat mats from Embro

Innovative alternative: heat mats manufactured by Embro

Main advantages of Embro heating elements & heat mats

The differences between heat tapes and heating elements

Possible applications for our heat mats

Summary: Why electric heat mats are convincing

Features of embroidered electric heat mats

Flexible heating elements Made in Germany and Made in Europe

Are you interested in textile heat mats?

Cost-effective and flexible custom heat mats for heated work surfaces

PFA-free insulation: silicone as an alternative for our electric heat mats and co.

Upholstery heaters: Flexible heat mats for medical treatment tables and the furniture industry from Embro

Heated food transport containers: cost-effective heat mats from B2B manufacturer Embro

Radiolucent patient warming systems: cost-effective and safe for B2B – Manufacturer Embro

Flexible heating mats as pipe trace heating – frost protection

All products & Embro technologies

Textile sensors & antenna structures

Functional textiles for medical applications

Smart textiles & wearable e-textiles

Tailored fiber placement for fiber composite components

Flexible heating elements Made in Germany
and Made in Europe

Functional textiles
for medical applications

Smart textiles
& wearable e-textiles