The Thermal Loop

An Introduction to the Unifying Concept Behind Watlow’s Products and Processes

Watlow® has a large portfolio of products, sold across a number of industries and used in a

wide variety of applications. It also provides deep expertise on a number of topics related to

thermal systems and their control. With recent acquisitions, that portfolio and that expertise

has only grown.

A large portfolio and deep expertise is a good thing for our clients and partners, but there is a

danger as well: It is all-too-easy to lose sight of the underlying value that we offer. If there isn’t a

unifying idea, model, concept or metaphor to organize and make sense of what we do, people

will get lost in the details…and many opportunities will be missed as a result.

For Watlow, the underlying concept behind everything we do is that of the thermal loop. Every

product we offer, and every project we work on, is ultimately about the creation and control

of a thermal loop in some application. This paper, the first in a series, will focus on the three

foundational components of the thermal loop - the heaters, the sensors and the controllers. In

subsequent white papers we will further explore how a thermal loop can be enhanced through

new technologies such as data acquisition and cyber security. Once you understand this basic

concept, it will help you see where Watlow’s specific products, projects and expertise fit into

the bigger picture.