Abstract: A heater system includes a substrate, a layered heater having a resistive layer formed on the substrate by a layered process, the resistive layer having sufficient temperature coefficient of resistance characteristics such that the resistive layer is a heater element and a temperature sensor. A single set of electrical leads having two electrical lead wires provides power to the resistive layer and receives a signal indicative of a temperature of the resistive layer. A two-wire controller includes a power controller, and the two-wire controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the temperature of the resistive layer, determine the temperature of the resistive layer, and control temperature of the heater system.

Abstract: An instrumented heater sleeve is provided that has a plurality of zones, a dielectric layer disposed over an outer surface of the sleeve, a resistive element layer disposed over the first dielectric layer, and a plurality of pairs of lead wires secured to a portion of the resistive element layer. Each pair of lead wires is connected to and corresponds with each of the zones and a protective layer is disposed over the dielectric layer. An amount of power is supplied to each of the zones and adjusted during a test run, or multiple test runs, to achieve a desired temperature profile along a heating target such as a hot runner nozzle. Methods of designing a hot runner nozzle heater using the instrumented heater sleeve are also provided.