Thermal Switch Protects Against Runaway

RTS or “Reflowable Thermal Switch”, a particularly compact device for thermal protection, is designed to protect against overheating, reliably interrupting the circuit precisely at a pre-defined temperature. The RTS can be mounted using conventional reflow soldering techniques with temperature profiles up to 260°C. After the solder process, the RTS is mechanically activated by depressing the top into place, arming the RTS to trip at 210°C. It can be performed manually or automatically in the case of several devices being activated at once. In contrast to devices using electrical activation, with an additional contact, the status of the RTS is clearly and immediately visible to the installer. The need for an additional contact is also eliminated.

The RTS sustains operating currents up to 100A at rated voltages of up to 60 VDC in a remarkable compact package measuring 6.6 x 8.8 mm in size. Customer-specific versions are available. Added features include integrated shunt or overcurrent protection, resulting in less space consumed on the printed circuit board.