International Appliance Manufacturing 2008 - (Page 50) Customization Is Key To Optimum Performance Brandon Wehl, CEO, Portage Electric Products, Inc. The ambient environment surrounding a thermal control can have a big effect on how the device operates. No two application environments are exactly alike, even though the applications may share a similar function. The materials used for an appliance as well as many other design considerations vary from product to product. These variations greatly effect the operating environment of many products. So how can you expect the same thermal control to act in precisely the same manner in two different operating environments? By customizing the performance characteristics of our thermal controls to the exact needs of your application, we help create products that are safer, more reliable and less expensive to produce. This is the reason Portage Electric Products Inc. (Pepi®) has continued to invest our engineering resources to develop affordable customization options for our growing line of creep action, snap action and disc type thermal controls. There are many things to consider when selecting what you think is the best thermal control for your particular application. With our advanced capabilities in engineering, materials, production and prototyping, you might want to get a Pepi sales engineer involved early in the process. The key is to think of the application as a whole. A thermal control device needs to be harmoniously integrated into your application. Consideration must be given to how and where your application will be used. What is the input voltage for your application? Is the applied voltage AC or DC? Is the current load resistive or inductive? All of these factors not only effect how a consumer uses your product but they also need to be considered when determining the function and operating characteristics of the thermal control. Does your application require a regulating thermostat or a high limit safety control? Do you need a device to open on temperature rise or close on temperature rise? What will the operating temperature range be for your application? Each of these variables influences the materials and components to be specified for your application. Evaluating the desired design parameters for your application and at the ambient environment influencing the operation of the thermal control and the type of electrical load being applied will then serve as a starting point to maximizing performance through customization of our devices to meet your exact performance requirements. Customization enables to you to incorporate improved safety, better reliability, and enhanced performance into your application. You may even be able to reduce the cost of other materials and components used in manufacturing your products by using the right thermal control. The key is to think of the application as a whole. Determining factors in selecting a thermal control There are a number of determining factors that need to be considered when selecting the right thermal control for your application. The first deals with the actual application itself. Based on the actual application various world wide 50 International Appliance Manufacturing 2008
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