Polyimide Heaters vs. FPC: Which Option is Right for You?

Flexible heating solutions are essential in industries where lightweight, efficient, and customizable thermal management is required. Two leading technologies—Polyimide Heating Films and Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC)—offer unique advantages depending on the application. As a professional manufacturer with 18+ years of experience, we compare these two solutions to help you make the best choice for your application.

1. Structure & Material

Polyimide Heating Films

a.    Made from polyimide film with etched metal traces. (copper, stainless sheet, Iron chromium aluminum etc.)

b.    Ultra-thin (0.13–0.4mm) and highly flexible.

c.     Excellent dielectric strength and thermal stability.

d.    Can assemble sensor or switch for temperature control

Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC)

a. Constructed with a flexible PCB (polyimide base) and conductive circuits.

b. Slightly thicker (0.1–0.5mm) but more robust against mechanical stress.

c. Can integrate additional components (sensors, resistor) for smart control.

Here is a table to simply summarize the differences of FPC and polyimide heater.

Which is the Right Choice?

Comprehensively compare the FPC and polyimide heater characteristics help us make a suitable decision. The core function of heaters is to transfer electric energy to thermal energy, enabling it to heat or maintain the temperature of a product. FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits) are mainly used for signal transmission and circuit connection in electrical devices.

Heaters are customized due to varying temperature requirements and shape specifications (Production drawings are typically designed by the manufacturer). While FPCs are also tailored, the production information such as Gerber files as well as BOM need to be provided by customers.

In conclusion, both FPC and PI heaters can be applied in medical devices, aerospace, industrial equipment, or other electronic devices. If the main requirement is to heat then PI heaters (or other heaters) are a good choice. If there are more precise requirements, FPC is much suitable.