Around 20-second heating
A consumer instant-heater module takes roughly 300 ml of chemistry from room temperature to 38–40°C in around 20 seconds, replacing a 30–40 minute water-bath preheat.
OFL–TI / 002Started June 2026Modular proof-of-concept · Testing
ThermaInsta Prototype
Chemistry at process temperature in seconds—not after a long water-bath warm-up.
ThermaInsta Prototype is a modular proof-of-concept whose primary innovation is a direct instant-heating loop. Approximately 300 ml of chemistry passes through the heater, rises from room temperature to 38–40°C in around 20 seconds, and is delivered immediately to the film tank under software control.
Technical profile
- Mass
- 3.5 kg (no chemicals)
- Dimensions
- 41 × 24 × 20 cm
- Working voltage
- 100–240 V
- Internal tanks
- 6 × 600 ml
- External ports
- 2 connections
- Estimated prototype build cost
- Around £240
01 Core features
Temperature control
The controller monitors the heated flow against the recipe target, keeping the working chemistry within the 38–40°C process range before delivery.
Immediate delivery
Pumps and valves move the conditioned dose straight from the heater to the film tank, reducing heat loss and eliminating the separate water-bath wait.
02 How instant heating works
Heat only the chemistry the process needs.
Conventional processors warm a large water bath and wait for stored bottles to equilibrate. ThermaInsta removes that thermal mass: it selects one chemistry, moves a compact dose through an inline heater, monitors the temperature, and sends the conditioned liquid directly to the development tank.
Select
The recipe chooses the required chemistry through the mapped tank and valve path.
Meter
A corrosion-resistant pump moves only the working volume—approximately 300 ml.
Heat
The inline heater raises the flowing chemistry to the 38–40°C target in around 20 seconds.
Deliver
The controller confirms temperature and routes the conditioned chemistry directly into the film tank.
Supporting prototype architectureThe prototype uses separable control, fluid, heating, and agitation units to support testing, servicing, and future development. Its agitation module carries forward Magnematic’s magnetic-coupling principle, while rapid direct heating remains ThermaInsta’s central technical contribution.
03 Modular prototype build
One prototype, four replaceable systems.
ThermaInsta separates the machine into functional modules rather than locking every component into one assembly. Each system can be tested, serviced, or revised independently, making the proof-of-concept easier to understand and develop without changing its direct-heating purpose.
Control
The touchscreen, controller, relays, and software coordinate recipes, timing, temperature, pumps, and valves from one defined control layer.
Heating
The inline heater and temperature-sensing path form a dedicated thermal module that can be evaluated without rebuilding the full fluid system.
Fluid
Mapped tanks, pumps, valves, and tubing manage chemistry selection, delivery, and return as a serviceable fluid-routing assembly.
Magnetic agitation
The agitation module uses a Magnematic-style magnetic coupling to transfer controlled rotation through the sealed tank wall, keeping the motor outside the wet processing chamber without a penetrating drive shaft.
04 Video demonstration
Introducing ThermaInsta Prototype
Watch the ThermaInsta Prototype demonstrate its instant-heating cycle, modular construction, temperature-controlled processing, and magnetic-coupled agitation system.
Watch on YouTube ↗05 From the project files
06 Development journey
Developed for release,
one question at a time.
Redrawing the boundary
Rather than optimise the large water bath, the redesign removed it and reorganised chemical storage, heating, and delivery around direct inline heating.
A modular prototype
Separable fluid, heating, control, and agitation modules validate the direct-heating approach. The redesign also reduced volume, weight, part count, and assembly time compared with the earlier automatic-processing prototype.
Preparing an open platform
BOM, CAD/STL files, wiring, assembly, safety, software architecture, protocol references, and temperature-test data are being organised for public replication and future development.
07 What comes next
From prototype
to shared tool.
01Complete clear-water, thermal, endurance, and chemical-compatibility tests
02Finalise the T1–T8 physical port and relay mapping
03Publish Android control source, state machine, and device drivers
04Release BOM, CAD, wiring, assembly, and safety documents under open licences