Why is BlueTrace the best electric heating controller on the market?

1. Power adjustment saves time and money in heating circuit design

BlueTrace enables the easy operation of the best and most affordable heating cables on the market: series resistance cables. Power adjustment increases tolerance for circuit length restrictions and reduces the need to use multiple types of heating cables in a single project. You may only need to purchase two types of heating cables instead of several kinds, enabling you to reduce the cable quantities you need to order. Circuit length can be altered by simply changing the settings. In addition to this, BlueTrace features a heating circuit power calculator, which uses inputs of phase current, heating cable length, resistance, phases and desired power/cable metre to calculate the control percentage and effective current. The BluePID control makes the management even easier. BluePID control can be initiated once the desired temperature and highest current allowed have been determined. BlueTrace handles power adjustment during operation.

2. BT-TL600 ATEX-circuit temperature limiter

The heating circuits for potentially explosive atmospheres can be designed in two ways: either by restricting the maximum temperature of the heating cable casing by design so that the heating cable cannot overheat or by using a separate temperature sensor for the heating cable casing along with an ATEX-approved limiter that shuts off the circuit if the heating cable overheats. The BlueTrace device features an optional BT-TL600 ATEX temperature limiter for explosive atmospheres. The BT-TL600 unit can be connected to an external contactor that shuts off the circuit upon overheating. An extended BlueTrace housing can also be used, which enables the installation of a safety contactor inside the BlueTrace device.

3. Energy-saving operation

Electric heating consumes a lot of energy. With thousands of heating points, even the smallest reduction in energy consumption makes a difference. How much does electric heating consume per day? What about per year? BlueTrace stores the total energy consumption for statistical purposes and includes features for conserving electricity. Thanks to BlueTrace, you can stay up-to-date on the kilowatts consumed and see the impact of the savings.

The following features examples on how BlueTrace helps to reduce electricity consumption:

The BluePID control algorithm controls the temperature accurately and automatically keeps the power at the correct level during cold seasons and minimises it during warm seasons.

The temperature adjustment window mode is perfect for heating tiles and canals. It adjusts the power in a linear fashion within the selected temperature range according to the ambient temperature. It is not always feasible to heat a large concrete slab if the environment is too cold.

The programmable voltage inputs and software enable the reduction of the temperature set point or shutting off the circuit in the following cases:

• The flow sensors or automation system detect flow in the pipe.

• The tank's fluid level drops.

• The process is stopped for maintenance.

• When processing materials that require a lower temperature point.

4. Preventive and easy maintenance

Heating circuits are generally not used in the summer, which means that possible damage may go unnoticed. This may lead to unpleasant surprises when the weather begins to cool and the circuits must be activated. BlueTrace conducts automatic test cycles during the outage period to ensure correct operation and reports any possible failures. Load current and current leak measurements bring peace of mind, since the system indicates when the condition of the heating circuit begins to deteriorate. BlueTrace can be set to provide alarms on excessively high or low load or current leaks. When maintaining a system with multiple channels, a number of circuits must often be closed. Thanks to BlueTrace, only the circuit being maintained needs to be closed. If the BlueTrace unit needs to be replaced, the settings can be copied to the new device replacing the old one, after which the circuit can be re-energised. Fast, easy and cost effective.

5. Unit controller or system, why not both?

BlueTrace functions as a separate unit, which makes it perfect for arrangements with a single heating circuit. Yet BlueTrace is also a true team player. Multiple BlueTrace units can be installed in racks which can be linked together to assemble a system to control hundreds of heating circuits. We call these types of BlueTrace systems BlueTrace groups.

The BlueTrace devices within the group can share data transfer connections and temperature data, which reduces installation costs. A single BlueTrace unit can serve as a gateway that forwards data through the Ethernet bus. The other units in the BlueTrace group can use the more affordable RS-485 technology, for example.

BlueTrace groups take up less space than conventional cabinet-type control panels. In addition to this, the cooling fins of the BlueTrace enclosure keep the semiconductor relays cool since they are not inside a closed metal cabinet. BlueTrace is the perfect solution for systems with either a single or multiple heating positions. The BlueTrace electric heating controller makes designing traces extremely easy. How many heating circuits do you have?

For more information on the benefits of BlueTrace, contact us via Planray Chat or by e-mail.

The contact information can be found here.