Ceramic glow plugs

As opposed to a metal pin-type glow plug, the heating coil of a ceramic glow plug has an especially high melting point. It is sheathed in an extremely rugged ceramic material. The combination of the heating coil and ceramic sheath enable higher temperatures and extremely short preheat times. Also, ceramic glow plugs have a more compact design. This is important, because there is very little free space in today’s engines.

The latest development from NGK is the NHTC (New High Temperature Ceramic) glow plug. It was developed to enable automobile manufacturers to comply with the Euro 4 and Euro 5 emissions standards. NHTC glow plugs achieve a temperature of 1,000°C in less than two seconds and can after-glow for more than ten minutes at temperatures of up to 1,350°C. Also, they can glow intermediately to prevent cooling of the particle filter.