There are many factors that go into creating a superior heat sink design, but the best designs are the ones that take as many of the following factors into consideration before finalizing the design.
Quite simply, what is the purpose of this heat sink? The heat sink for the main processor of a high-powered laptop is going to have very different requirements than one designed for a desktop computer or on a logic board for an EKG machine. Knowing what the heat sink is used for will be the best place to begin the process of selecting a heat sink design that works for you.
If this isn’t the most important factor to consider in your design, it is a close second to the application of the heat sink. The heat generated by thermal resistance in semiconductors and processing units can be considerable, and knowing how much heat needs to be managed is critical to the heat sink design process.
The physical size of the product has a major impact on the heat sink design. If the product is small, yet powerful like a mobile phone, it will have very different requirements than a network server in a designated server room because of the size of the case provided. Because of the limited space available in a mobile phone, it may use a special design of RAM to function as a heat sink or the cell phone casing to help manage the heat generated by the phone’s processor. Whereas a network server often has space in the case to spare, so a design such as an active heat sink with a fan, or a one that uses heat pipe technology to manage the heat works better in these units.
The composition of the materials used in the heat sink design is also a factor to consider. If weight or cost isn’t a concern, then a copper heat sink might be the best choice since it is one of the best conductive metals available for heat sink designs. If weight or cost is a factor, then an extruded aluminum heatsink might be a better solution.
Some heat sink designs cannot handle the amount of heat generated by the product with heat sink fin shape and size and need a little extra help by using a fan to help the dissipate the generated heat faster.
We have over 25 years of experience providing thermal management solutions through superior heat sink designs. Our engineers can help you select the right heat sink design for your product. For more information give us a call at 888-999-8499, contact us online, or send us an email at sales@getecna.com today.
