MCH vs PTC
People in this hair tools industry must have to know what is MCH and what is PTC, because this decide the heat your machine can get.
What is PTC?
PTC heater, the full name is Positive Temperature Coefficient, is a unique and useful technology that replaces the traditional heating wire with stones or chips.
Here are the TOP 3 benefits we believe in our industry and products:
1. Higher level of safety
All kinds of heaters are controlled by programmed PCB including PTC heaters, however even if there is no PCB, the highest temperature of PTC can only reach to 270C-280C(518F-536F). And its characteristics decide PTC does not generate heat as the traditional wire, so it can cool down easily and gives higher level of safety. Not like the MCH, it can reach easily high to like 700C without control. But this also makes the MCH has faster temperature recovery, welcomed in salon use.
2. Long lasting life span of the device
For any piece of equipment, the longer and higher the internal working environment is, the shorter the life span can be. As mentioned above, the PTC only generate the necessary heat which means less chance to get burned.
3. Less business costing for you and more guarantee for your customers
A self-limited PTC heating system has safer and longer lasting life, so it makes sense that this kind of hair styling tools(some of the flat iron and all the curling irons) can ensure you less spending on the customer service and potential defect returns.
What is MCH?
MCH heaters, its full name is Metal Ceramic Heaters, are made of ceramic chips and traditional resistant wire—the traditional wire is infused in ceramic chips. So the MCH heaters actually are traditional wires, without control, it can become hot red wire—the fire beast!
Here are the TOP3 benefits we get on hair styling tools
1. Fast heating up and fast recovery
Since inside, MCH is traditional resistant wire, not like PTC, it can generate temperature as much it can when powered on. So it heats up quickyly and heat compensation is satisfied. Normally under PCB control, the heating fast is 45S to 200C, but still we don’t recommend to persue the heating up speed only, we need to consider this device life span in a considerable angle. We should take the balance between heat and life span.
2. Save labor cost in salon
Since MCH system temperature recovery is fast, it saves people’s time when doing the job like keratin treatment. You don’t have to wait till the temperature come back to 230C, and save time for other chores.
3. Best choice for professional salon use hair flat iron
Just because it can reaches very high temperature, and temperature recovery is faster, it is the best choice for a professional stylist, especially for Keratin Treatment. Theoretically, if the outer shell and other components can resist very high temperature like 260C or 300C or higher, MCH heating system is right there waiting for them. But in fact, so far, the other components are not able to meet MCH’s requirement. As mentioned upper, for every device, higher internal temperature means shourter life.
However, there are something we should pay attention to for this MCH heating system:
1. Can I get a 300C—572F temperature hair flat iron?
Some customers from Middle East or Brazil or other countries where people have coarse and thick hair, they even ask us:”hey, can you do 300C(572F) flat iron? our hair is soooo thick, 240C is nothing to us….” Of course, we can do, because MCH is capable of even 700C. However, on the other side, the whole device is not capable for this high temperature. Even though we do OVEN TESTING for every PCB, but for such high temperature, the product will die quickly.
2. I want 10S to 200C—392F!
There is a word called”Temperature Rushing Peak” which means the first time in shortest time the highest temperature a MCH flat iron can reach. We can adjust the PCB to heat fast and quickly, but after this peak, it needs time to calm down to the regular wanted temperature. This gives the system more chance to lose control and cause danger. Normally 45S to 200C—392F is good enough. Just a small time you spend running yours fingers through the hair.
Calm down, we need the balance and we want to live longer!
We are factory, we can do almost everything, but we need the balance point!
3. Why burned out?
Burned out machine, it is the scary story we don’t want hear. Nobody wants the Sumsung Note 7 headache problem.
Then how to avoid the MCH heating system burned out?
We do double fuse protection first.
Clear and tight PCB programming second.
Stronger outer shell and other components.
And more…
BTW, for now, most of the curling irons are with PTC heaters and hair flat iron can be either PTC or MCH.
For salon use, if you hold a hair flat iron, it must be a reliable high quality MCH well controled hair flat iron, or … … You guess what will happen and share with us.
