Die casting is a highly efficient manufacturing process that can produce parts with complex shapes. With die casting, heat sink fins can be incorporated into a frame, housing or enclosure, so heat can be transferred directly from the source to the environment without additional resistance. When used to its full potential, die casting provides not only excellent thermal performance, but also significant savings in cost.

Benefits of Die Cast Heat Sinks

Compared with other manufacturing methods, die casting offers the following benefits:

• Produce complex 3D shapes that are not possible in extrusion or forging
• Heat sink, frame, housing, enclosure and fastening elements can be combined in a single casting
• Holes can be cored in die casting
• High production rate and low cost
• Tight tolerances
• Dimensionally stable
• Secondary machining not required
• Provide exceptionally flat surfaces (good for the contact between heat sink and source)
• Corrosion resistance rates from good to high
• Excellent EMI an RFI shielding

Die cast heat sinks can be made in zinc or aluminum. Zinc is the easiest to die cast. Its tooling and unit costs are lower than those of aluminum. Zinc is also stronger, stiffer and tougher than aluminum. Die cast zinc heat sinks do not require plating, or plating can be done easily. Zinc is heavier than aluminum but provides the feel of high quality. On the other hand, aluminum is lighter and some aluminum alloys have higher thermal conductivity than zinc alloys.

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