Thermax temperature strip applications in industry and the automotive sector

01 / Applications

• Combat vehicle operation and diagnostics

  Indicators applied to wheel bearing housings, final drives, drive axles, main transmissions and gearboxes on tanks and armoured vehicles (e.g. KTO Rosomak, AHS Krab, BWP Borsuk, K2 and M1A2 Abrams tanks). A sudden temperature rise signals a lubrication fault or component wear before the equipment becomes immobilised in the field. Additional applications include monitoring brake discs and callipers, and checking the surfaces of engine blocks, turbochargers, power packs and exhaust systems for hot spots.

• Weapons, ammunition and missiles

  Monitoring heat build-up in artillery and small-arms barrels during intensive firing helps prevent ammunition cook-off in the chamber, as well as excessive barrel wear and deformation. Strips on ammunition boxes and guided missile containers confirm that critical temperatures for explosive stability and sensitive guidance electronics have not been exceeded.

• Military aviation, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

  Monitoring helicopter gearboxes, jet engine components and avionics compartments. Indicators show whether an electronic module has operated above the temperature permitted by the manufacturer's specification (MIL-STD-810H). In reconnaissance and strike platforms (UAV, UGV, USV), they monitor electronic speed controllers (ESC), brushless motors and Li-Ion/LiPo battery packs operating under heavy loads and at high ambient temperatures.

• Radar, communications and optoelectronics

  Monitoring passive and active cooling in military radios, radar modules (including AESA antennas), electro-optical sensor heads and thermal imagers. Applications also include monitoring heat build-up in lithium battery packs used in soldiers' portable equipment and electronic warfare systems.

• Standards compliance and environmental resistance

  Military applications use versions compliant with NATO / STANAG requirements, the MIL-STD-810H environmental standard and the ISO 9001 quality management system. Versions resistant to gear oils, hydraulic fluids, aviation fuel (NATO F-34 / JP-8), water and UV radiation are available. Thermax strips are available in multi-level versions (including 5-, 8- and 10-level strips), covering a range from 25 °C to 300 °C.

• Zero signature — tactical security

  The indicators operate entirely passively: they have no batteries and emit no radio-frequency radiation or additional heat, so they do not increase equipment detectability by signals intelligence (SIGINT) systems or thermal imaging. They are also unaffected by electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and a technician or soldier can read them at a glance during an inspection.

02 / Applications

• Brake system diagnostics and tuning

  Applying temperature indicator strips to brake callipers and discs (or their shields) allows precise measurement of the system's thermal load during track testing, rallies and everyday driving. Multi-level Thermax strips covering approximately 120–260 °C are typically used on callipers — a blackened field shows the maximum temperature reached during the run.

• Engine and auxiliary component temperature measurement

  Easy monitoring of overheating in engine blocks, cylinder heads, turbocharger housings, alternators and power steering pumps.

• Cooling and exhaust system testing

  Local recording of temperature spikes on coolant hoses and near exhaust manifolds.

• Electromobility

  Monitoring safe operating temperatures of cells and battery packs in electric vehicles.

• Warranty claim verification

  Spare parts manufacturers and service technicians use temperature labels as conclusive evidence that a component has been operated beyond its permitted limits.

03 / Applications

• Preventing bearing and gearbox failures

  Early detection of seized bearings, worn gears and inadequately lubricated friction points — a temperature rise signals a problem before costly downtime occurs.

• Electric motor monitoring

  Continuous temperature monitoring of windings and housings in AC and DC motors under heavy loads.

• Rapid visual inspection

  During routine rounds, maintenance teams can quickly check hundreds of measurement points along a production line without using an infrared thermometer.

04 / Applications

• Switchgear and control cabinets

  Routine monitoring of busbar connections, contactor contacts, fuses and relays. Overheating contacts are the first sign of surface oxidation or loose bolts.

• Transformers and power supplies

  Monitoring transformer cores and high-power power supplies to check that they remain at their optimum operating temperature.

• Photovoltaic (PV) installations

  Safe temperature monitoring of connections in junction boxes and inverters.

05 / Applications

• Wave and reflow soldering processes

  Checking and verifying that a PCB has reached the required temperature in a reflow oven or during wave soldering — for example, using 10-level temperature indicator strips.

• Hot spot detection

  Rapid identification of overheating on transistors, diodes, bridge rectifiers, transformers and heat sinks.

• Warranty protection

  Protection against unjustified warranty claims arising from improper equipment use.

06 / Applications

• Coating curing ovens

  Specialist aluminium-backed THERMAX temperature indicator strips provide accurate temperature measurement directly on the surface of coated parts. Monitoring temperature distribution in curing ovens for powder and liquid coatings ensures correct coating polymerisation.

• Coil coating

  Monitoring uniform metal heating during the application of protective coatings.

07 / Applications

• Injection moulds

  Checking temperature distribution uniformity across the surfaces of injection and blow moulds.

• Vulcanisation processes

  Verifying precise heat delivery to rubber components during compression moulding.

08 / Applications

• Structural component monitoring

  Monitoring the effects of hot exhaust gases on aircraft skin and load-bearing components near jet and helicopter engines.

• Aircraft maintenance

  Checking thermal loads on aircraft landing gear after landing by recording extreme brake system temperatures, and inspecting fire extinguisher cylinders.

09 / Applications

• Cold chain

  Temperature monitoring for food, dairy products, medicines, vaccines and medical products (blood and organs for transplantation). Irreversible temperature labels provide evidence that a shipment has not been exposed to excessively high temperatures during handling or storage.

• Standards compliance

  Simplifying process documentation within HACCP and ISO systems and helping meet hygiene and legal requirements in freight forwarding.

• Safe storage

  Verifying stable storage conditions for resins, two-component adhesives and hazardous materials.

10 / Applications

• Pasteurisation and sterilisation processes

  Confirming that the specified temperature has been reached on the surfaces of packaging, cans and containers in sterilisation tunnels.

• Pasteurisation of beer, juices and canned foods

  Waterproof data loggers (IP68) with a probe placed in a bottle, can or jar record the temperature inside the product in a pasteurisation tunnel. These readings are used to calculate pasteurisation units (PU).

• Vaccine and medicine storage

  Continuous refrigerator temperature recording in clinics, pharmacies and vaccination centres (+2…+8 °C), including non-working days, provides evidence that the cold chain has been maintained.

• Commercial and hospital dishwashers

  Dedicated THERMAX indicators verify that the required dish surface temperature (min. 71 °C) has been reached in accordance with FDA and HACCP requirements for eliminating microorganisms.

• Autoclaves and sterilisers

  Indicators resistant to hot steam confirm correct sterilisation of surgical instruments and ampoules (in accordance with ISO 11140-1).

11 / Applications

• Irreversible temperature label beneath parquet

  A Thermax 29–42 °C indicator applied to the underside of a board records the maximum temperature beneath a wooden floor. Under PN-EN 1264, the floor surface temperature should not exceed approximately 26–29 °C — a blackened field shows whether, and by how much, this limit has been exceeded.

• Screed heating cycle

  37–65 °C indicators placed around the screed perimeter confirm that the cement or anhydrite screed has undergone a heating cycle before the flooring is installed.

• Manifold monitoring

  A circular indicator on the supply pipe records excessively hot water entering the heating loop, for example following a mixing valve failure.

• Contractor protection in warranty disputes

  A photograph of the unactivated label before installation, included in the handover report, and a reading taken years later help distinguish incorrect heating operation from a parquet installation defect.