Heat Tape and Heated Samples Lines, made by Clayborn Lab help to optimize process performance by providing the precision, accuracy and durability that engineers and technicians need for heating solutions across industrial, process, and analytical applications.
The Benefits of using Clayborn Heat Tape and Sample Lines
Tape can be made with a wide variety of resistances for specific voltage, wattage and temperature requirements with a thickness of less than 1/64”
Thermally conductive adhesive enhances heat transfer for lightweight, yet rugged, construction
Automated wrapping process provides consistent heating for tubing while Heat Tape Technology eliminates the possibility of cold spots
Heat Tape
Thermally conductive adhesive is the secret to Clayborn’s extraordinary heat transfer.
Thermal Energy is transferred through both conductive and radiant modes of heat. Radiant energy emitted away from the tube is reflected onto the surface being heated.
Discover Heat Tape:
- Clayborn manufactures specific watt density heat tape in 1/2”, 1/4” and 1/6” widths
- Highly efficient, thin, flexible architecture
- Achieves temperatures up 400 F
- Wide ranges of resistance and input voltages allow for precision heating
- Ideal for flat surfaces, tubing and vessels
- Bulk Rolls available in 50’ or 100’
- Available in silicone and low-outgassing acrylic adhesives
- 4-conductors (1/2” wide), 2-conductors (1/4” wide), or single conductor (1/6” wide)
- Customizable to achieve specific temperature, length and/or input voltage combination
Heated Lines and Tubes
A building block of every sample line, our heated sample lines are custom engineered to meet your exact specifications.
Clayborn Heat tape is durable and flexible, providing a tight heating coil for more heat per length than other constant watt density and self-regulating heater types.*
Discover Heated Lines and Tubes:
- No damage to heaters with frequent movement
- Consistent sample temperature along circumference and length of the line
- Choice of sample line tubing, outer covering, and insulation materials
- Integrated strain relief loops at user specified locations
- Standard Finished Ends
- Armored Ends available
- Embedded Thermostats
- Thermocouples
- RTD’s
- On/OFF indicator lights
- AC or DC operation
- 12v, 24v, 120v, 208v, and 277v input
“Clayborn Lab and its staff have accommodated us greatly with our heating projects for our biomass facility. The heated tubes using Clayborn’s design have minimal power consumption, and they are ideal for long sampling lines”
– Reinhard Seisesr, University Of California at San Diego
A World of Applications
- Aerospace – Satellites, Vacuum Chambers, Testing, Laboratory
- Automotive – Fuel Cell Development, Cold Chamber Testing
- Construction – Concrete Curing, Ground Thaw, Hot Box Heater
- Composites – Adhesive Application, Epoxy Transfer, 2-Part Spray
- Environmental – EPA-Required Testing, Solar, Biofuel Development, Diesel Emissions
- Food Industry – Viscosity Control, Production Technology
- Gas Samples – Emission Testing, Stack Testing, Analyzer Components, CEMS
- Government – International Space Station, Meteorological Analysis
- Industrial – Machinery, Systems Engineering, Semiconductors
- Laboratory – Thermal Testing, Non-Condensate, Instrumentation, Electron Microscopes
- Medical – Flow Control, Instrumentation, Scientific Research, Optical Resolution
- Pharmaceutical – Production Machinery, R&D, Test
- Transportation – Train Car Defrost System, Aviation Freeze Protect, Tank Batteries
- University – Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Clayborn tape work on any voltage?
Clayborn Precision Heat tape or Heated Sample Lines are resistance-based products and therefore will produce the desired wattage with most any voltage as long as the correct resistance is selected.
Will Clayborn tape work on battery power?
The tape will work at any reasonable voltage, however due to limited battery capacity and depletion considerations, battery power is often insufficient.
Can Clayborn Precision Heat Tape or Heated Sample Lines be controlled to produce a certain temperature?
Clayborn Precision Heat Tape or Heated Sample Lines can be controlled with a very inexpensive fixed-temperature thermostat. Clayborn products can also be externally controlled with a thermocouple of most any type, as well as RTDs or other temperature limiting devices.
Are Clayborn products self-regulated?
Clayborn products can be self-regulating over the entire circuit to a fixed temperature with an inexpensive, internal thermostat. Wattage will be constant throughout.
How can I calculate the amount of heat tape I will need to heat my project?
1/2″ wide Clayborn Precision Heat Tape will cover 6 square inches per lineal foot. If you calculate the amount of surface area in square inches, divide 6 into the result and you will have the amount of heat tape for 100% coverage.
Will the heat resulting from Clayborn products be constant over the entire length of the tape?
The resistance per foot of Clayborn products is very precise and constant. The amount of heat will therefore be constant throughout the project.
Does Clayborn offer tape selection assistance?
On-staff application engineers will assist in tape selection and Heated Sample Line design. Email or call for assistance.
Why is Clayborn a powerful and efficient heating source?
Clayborn heat tape surrounds the heating elements with thermally conductive adhesive, thus transferring most, if not all, of the generated heat to the attached surface. A radiant reflector pushes otherwise escaping radiant heat back into the project being heated.
Does Clayborn have termination kits for its heat tape applications?
Yes, Clayborn manufactures terminal blocks that are primarily used for flat surface applications. Select large or small, depending on your desired lead size.
Can I get Clayborn to engineer and build a custom heater for my application?
Yes, be prepared to answer these questions and then call 530-587-4700 and ask for engineering or email your request via our Custom Tape Heaters page:
- Input voltage available?
- Amount of heat in watts?
- Desired Temperature?
- Coldest ambient temperature surrounding the object to be heated?
How long will it take to create a custom heater?
The custom heater process calls for a silicone seal at each end, which needs to cure overnight. Custom heater orders ship within 3 business days after the day the order is received.
Can Heated Sample Lines be created on any size tube, hose or pipe?
Clayborn Heated Sample Lines are manufactured on a machine capable of heat tracing tubing from 1/4” to 1 3/4” (outside diameter). Tube, hose or pipe smaller than 1/4” or larger than 1 3/4” in diameter can be hand wrapped (an additional charge may apply). Tube, hose or pipe lengths do not matter.
Can Heated Sample Lines be more than one tube?
Yes, product variations include twin-tube, multi-tube and umbilical type set-ups. We have successfully wrapped up to 5 tubes of differing sizes.
Will a tube become less flexible with a Heated Sample Line application?
Clayborn Precision Heat Tape is spirally wrapped in a helix along the length of the tube and does not adversely affect the bend radius of the original material.
What happens if a tube becomes plugged?
For applications with the potential for contaminants affecting the life of Heated Sample Lines, we recommend a tube within a tube application (umbilical) where heated substances travel in a field-removable inner tube.
How long will it take to ship Heated Sample Lines to my specifications?
Clayborn offers a 10-business day delivery on Heated Sample Lines. Tubes can be expedited for a 15% up charge.
Can the Heat Tape or Heated Sample Lines be used in moisture-laden environments?
Although we do not recommend that heat tape be used in a wet environment, there are times when it is necessary to ensure the item heated is protected from moisture. For small jobs, such as insulating electrical terminals, we sell a 3-ounce tube of silicone rubber sealant. For larger projects and especially the heated tubing, we offer Self-Fusing Silicone Tape that adheres to itself. This stretchy product can be wrapped over the heat tape to prevent moisture from disturbing the adhesion to the heat sink.
Termination made with Silicone
Tommy Tape, the miracle tape
How energy efficient is Heat Tape?
The design of Clayborn Precision Heat Tape makes it extremely energy efficient. The substrate is constructed of adhesive-impregnated fiberglass with a dielectric strength of 600VDC. The resistance wires are coated with ML enamel to eliminate shorting possibilities and are constructed with a squiggle to allow for expansion and contraction. The thin top layer of aluminum reflects the heat back into the heat sink, requiring as much as 30% less energy to achieve the desired operating termperature as compared to conventional strip heaters.
How capable is Clayborn Lab with creating special wire configurations?
Although we do not recommend that heat tape be used in a wet environment, there are times when it is necessary to ensure the item heated is protected from moisture. For small jobs, such as insulating electrical terminals, we sell a 3-ounce tube of silicone rubber sealant. For larger projects and especially the heated tubing, we offer Self-Fusing Silicone Tape that adheres to itself. This stretchy product can be wrapped over the heat tape to prevent moisture from disturbing the adhesion to the heat sink.