Imagine your precision equipment failing due to overheating—not just causing financial losses but potentially creating safety hazards. How can you prevent such scenarios and ensure your devices operate efficiently in a safe, stable environment? The answer lies in Bourns® TCO (Thermal Cutoff), a true guardian angel for your equipment.

Bourns® TCO, also known as a miniature circuit breaker, represents more than just an overtemperature protection device. It combines cutting-edge technologies to deliver unprecedented protection levels. Operating independently without controller dependency, it effectively safeguards cables against thermal damage. Its ingenious design features a parallel connection between a bimetallic switch and PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient thermistor), merging the best of both technologies.

Traditional bimetallic switches offer rapid response and precise control but lack latching capability—they automatically reset when temperatures normalize. PTC technology complements this perfectly with its inherent latching characteristic. Upon reaching threshold temperatures, PTC maintains a high-resistance state, preventing equipment from cycling during temperature fluctuations and extending device lifespan. Bourns® TCO cleverly utilizes PTC's latching feature to maintain open-circuit conditions after bimetallic switch activation.

Conversely, the bimetallic switch enhances the TCO solution with higher current capacity and precision control. While PTC provides latching functionality, its current handling capabilities remain limited with less precise control. The bimetallic switch enables the TCO to withstand greater current surges while triggering protection at exact temperature points, making it adaptable to diverse application requirements.

Beyond traditional TCO devices, Bourns® offers the P-TCO series—surface-mountable overtemperature protection solutions featuring ultra-low resistance and optimized thermal protection. These compact components provide precise environment-temperature calibration, rapidly transitioning to high-resistance states at threshold temperatures to prevent thermal damage. Their space-efficient design allows seamless integration into various electronic devices.

• Autonomous Operation: Independently monitors temperature and implements protection without controller dependency, reducing system complexity and costs.
• Dual-Protection Mechanism: Parallel bimetallic-PTC design combines rapid response with latching capability for fail-safe operation.
• Precision Temperature Control: Bimetallic switch ensures accurate activation while PTC maintains protective status for stable operation.
• Versatile Configurations: Available in multiple models including traditional TCO and surface-mount P-TCO variants.
• Space-Efficient Design: P-TCO's compact SMT packaging enables easy integration.
• Energy Efficient: Ultra-low resistance minimizes power consumption.

Bourns® TCO solutions protect diverse electronic systems including:

• Battery Packs: Prevents thermal runaway while extending battery life
• Electric Motors: Guards against overload and overheating damage
• Power Supplies: Ensures stable operation under thermal stress
• Lighting Systems: Protects against thermal degradation
• Home Appliances: Enhances safety in consumer products
• Industrial Equipment: Improves reliability in demanding environments

In today's era of increasingly complex electronics, thermal protection has become critical. Bourns® TCO stands out with its innovative design and superior performance, offering reliable safeguards for equipment operation while preventing costly downtime and safety incidents.