Ametherm is a leading manufacturer of inrush current limiters and NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistors. The company specializes in designing high-quality power thermistors used for surge protection, temperature sensing, and circuit protection in industrial and consumer electronics. Ametherm’s products are widely used in automotive, aerospace, industrial automation, medical electronics, and power distribution.
Ametherm Thermistors
Ametherm is the leading manufacturer of inrush current limiter(ICL) thermistors and Negative Temperature Coefficient(NTC) thermistors for temperature compensation and control. Established in 1994 and headquartered in Carson City, Nevada, Ametherm is globally recognized for superior thermistor engineering and temperature control solutions.
Their manufacturing facility processes raw materials such as copper, manganese, cobalt, and nickel into substrate materials that protect AC motors, power supplies, and amplifiers.
Effective Inrush Current Limiting Solutions
Using thermistors as inrush current limiters (ICLs) is a cost-effective and reliable solution to protect electrical circuits from sudden high startup currents. NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistors are commonly used for this purpose because their resistance decreases as temperature increases.
How It Works:
- Cold Start: When power is first applied, the thermistor has a high resistance, limiting inrush current.
- Heating Up: As current flows, the thermistor heats up, and its resistance drops, allowing normal current to pass with minimal power loss.
- Steady State: Once the system reaches operating conditions, the thermistor maintains a low resistance, ensuring efficiency.
Advantages of Thermistor-Based Inrush Current Limiting:
✔ Cost-Effective – Simple, passive component with no need for complex circuits.
✔ Compact & Reliable – Small form factor with long lifespan.
✔ Energy-Efficient – Low power dissipation in steady-state operation.
✔ Wide Application Range – Used in power supplies, motor drives, LED drivers, and industrial equipment.
Considerations When Selecting a Thermistor:
- Resistance at 25°C (R25) – Determines initial current limiting.
- Maximum Steady-State Current – Ensures it can handle continuous operation.
- Dissipation Constant & Thermal Time Constant – Affects response speed and heat management.
There are two types of thermistors: Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) and Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC). The NTC thermistors are mostly used for temperature sensing purposes while PTC thermistors are used to control electric current.
Ametherm’s circuit protection thermistors deliver through innovative design and quality. Thermistors are used in temperature compensation, voltage regulations, circuit protection, time delay, and volume control. Other thermistor applications are prominent in the medical (Power supplies, MRI), industrial, automotive (1/3 HP to 3.0 HP range), HVAC, and aerospace industries. These make Ametherm thermistors highly versatile electronic components.
Ametherm SURGE-GARD
Ametherm SURGE-GARD Inrush Current Limiter devices are manufactured with metal oxide ceramic materials. SURGE-GARD devices are designed to suppress high inrush current surges. These Ametherminrush current limiters are especially useful in power supplies, in instances when low impedance of the charging capacitor exposes the diode bridge rectifier to an excessively high current surge at turn-on.
Ametherm NTC Disc Thermistors
Ametherm NTC Disc Thermistors are thermally sensitive, semiconductor resistive devices that decrease in resistance as absolute temperature increases. Resistance values range from 1.0Ω to 500KΩ. These Ametherm NTC thermistors are suited to a large scope of resistance values and temperature coefficients. Common applications for the Ametherm NTC Disc Thermistors include temperature compensation, temperature measurement, fan motor control, and temperature sensors.
Features:
- Wide Ohmic Value Range
- Accurate & Stable
- Fast Thermal Response Time
- Tight Tolerances
- High Sensitivity
Applications:
- Temperature Compensation
- Temperature Measurement & Control
- Fan Motor Control
- Fluid Level & Temperature Sensors