Backer Hotwatt was founded in 1952 and has been a leader in the manufacture of resistance heating elements for over 65 years. The company began with the manufacture of a single product, an open coil heating element. Since then, Backer Hotwatt has expanded its product range to include cartridge, air process, immersion, band, finned band, tube, finned tube, foil, flexible Glasrope®, crankcase and ceramic heaters.
The company has grown from being a major supplier to the household appliance industry to a quality supplier to a wide range of original equipment manufacturers. Its products are used in industrial, medical, commercial, packaging, instrumentation, aerospace, transportation, refrigeration/air conditioning and military applications. In addition, it can supply compatible accessories, enabling it to offer complete heating systems.
On the 1st of December 2016, NIBE Industrier AB acquired the operations of Hotwatt, Inc. in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA. The company's operations were incorporated into the NIBE Element North American Business Group. "The acquisition of Hotwatt adds another well-known brand to the North American element operations, bringing cost synergies and economic benefits to the NIBE Group. Its market position and substantial customer base provide another platform for profitable growth", says Gerteric Lindquist, President and CEO of NIBE Industrier AB. Operations and customer support will continue to be based in Massachusetts under the name Backer Hotwatt, Inc.
The company’s most popular product is the cartridge heater. It makes low, medium and high watt density cartridge heaters. Cartridge heaters provide localised heat for limited work areas that require tight thermal control. Dies, plates and a variety of other types of processing equipment can be efficiently heated. Tightly controlled working temperatures of up to 1400º F (760º C) are achieved through a combination of heater location and the right wattage.