Optimizing Design Principles for PTC Heater Circuits

Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater paste has been widely used across industries—from automotive to home and personal devices—due to its inherent advantages of being thin, portable, flexible, lightweight, and safe. Despite these benefits, manufacturers face challenges with PTC materials, including issues with print consistency, circuit resistance tolerance, and performance under accelerated processing conditions.
This presentation explores how design principles can be leveraged to enhance the performance of PTC heater circuits for diverse applications. In collaboration with Boyd, we have conducted an exploratory investigation into best practices and improved design principles for printed carbon-based PTC heaters. We examine how changes to the print formfactor and conditions impact critical factors such as heater performance, heat-up characteristics, and maintaining target temperature. The discussion includes experiments conducted under various manufacturing conditions, including large-format printing and roll-to-roll processing. By identifying key levers for adjusting PTC heater performance, this presentation aims to provide insights into methods for improving both heater performance and manufacturability.