Flexible Ceramic Pad Heaters (FCP) are manufactured by weaving multi-stranded 80/20 Nichrome electric resistance heating wirethrough passages within interlocking ceramic beads.  The beads are molded from sintered 95% Alumina ceramics, more that 3/8-inchthick.  The Alumina has excellent high-temperature dielectric properties which combined with the interlocking bead design provideFCP heaters with exceptional electrical insulating qualities.

The interlocking bead design imposes rigidity along the heater length while allowing flexibility along the heater width, enabling it toconform to the curved surfaces of pipes and pressure vessels.  A nominal nine-inch length of nickel wire is welded to each end of theNichrome wire to create a cold tail to prevent the electrically insulated camlock connectors from being heated.

FCP heaters are generally available to two standard values: 80VAC, which are the most common, and 60VAC.  Custom designedheaters, however, can also be provided.  All 80VAC heaters are rectangular with a surface area of 120 square inches and a thermalpower of 3.6 kW, producing a power density of 30 W/in2with an electrical current of 45 amps.  The 60VAC counterparts are simplythree-quarters the size of an 80VAC pad with a surface area of 90 square inches and a 2.7 kW thermal power but with the samepower density and electric current.  All 80VAC heaters can be run on 60VAC, but their kW output is reduced from 3.6 to 2.