Best Electronic Circuit Protection with Aluminium Heat Sinks

Author: General Hardware

The Benefits of Using Aluminium

An aluminium heat sink presents many advantages owing to the properties of aluminium. For one, aluminium as a metal is widely available – it is the third most commonly available element in the Earth’s crust. Second, aluminium has an excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, enabling it to conduct heat efficiently. Moreover, the additional properties of aluminium, namely low weight, easy malleability and high corrosion resistance add to its appeal as a desirable material for heat sinks. An aluminium heat sink weighs about half as much as a copper one, and is also less expensive. Aluminium heat sinks are fabricated using a process called extrusion, which is one of the most popular and cost-efficient heat sink fabrication methods today. There are many varieties of aluminium heat sink options available, ranging from BGA plate fin, to round pin, to elliptical fin, and many more.

The Process of Aluminium Extrusion

To make the most of its unique combination of advantageous physical properties, aluminium alloy is transformed into objects with a definitive cross-sectional profile, using a technique known as extrusion. Aluminum profile manufacture allows aluminium to be used in a wide range of applications, such as components in space stations. The process of profile manufacturing involves pushing the aluminium alloy through a pre-designed die of the desired cross-section, using pressure and heat. The resultant profile not only has an excellent finish, but can be manufactured in a fraction of the time it would take using other metal production processes such as casting. Using aluminum profile manufacture, it is possible to create very complex custom-engineered profiles. A variety of options are also available after the profile manufacture, such as colour adjustments, texture and brightness correction, and finishing techniques like painting or anodizing.

How Aluminium Heat Sinks Benefit the Lighting Industry

Extruded aluminium heat sinks can vastly benefit the lighting industry. Because of their higher level of thermal conductivity, aluminium extrusions are 53% more effective than general castings. The high degree of thermal conductivity allows for lesser amounts of aluminium to be used, which means lesser cost of production, a huge advantage for those in the lighting manufacturing industry. There are several grades of aluminium available in the market, and multiple alloys that can be used by manufacturers to produce aluminium heat sinks of superior quality and unbeatable performance.

The advantageous attributes of aluminium, from its strength and ductility to its conductivity and ability for recycling make this wonder material a natural choice for extrusion and adaptability for a number of manufacturing needs.

Buying suitable heat sink from a renowned hardware supplier is essential to ensure that your device performs efficiently and provides you long lasting services.Most heat sinks are made of aluminium or copper alloys or they may be made of composite materials. Aluminium heat sinks are widely preferred due to their high thermal conductivity, resistance to corrosion and low weight.

Summary:The importance of a heat sink in an electric or electronic circuit cannot be overstated. With its many advantages, aluminium has become the material of choice for heat sinks.