Extrusion is the most cost effective manufacturing method in producing plate fin and cross cut heat sinks. Both the tooling and unit price are the lowest among all mass production processes. The material AL6063 used in extrusion has excellent mechanical properties and surface appearance. The thermal conductivity of 6063 is slightly lower than pure aluminum (which is used in cold forging), but much higher than the alloys used in die casting. Secondary machining will increase the overall cost, but unless extensive machining is required, the overall cost is still relatively low.

Benefits of Extruded Heat Sinks

Compared with other manufacturing methods, extruded heat sinks offer the following benefits:

• Most cost effective
• Best thermal performance for forced convection
• Extruded from aluminum alloy 6063 with high thermal conductivity (209 W/m-K)
• Good for medium- to high-airflows
• Excellent surface finish and appearance
• Length can be customized without new tooling
• Secondary operation are easy to achieve
• Cross cut extrusions offer omni-directional properties

Considering the low tooling and manufacturing costs, we recommend customers to consider custom-designed extrusions for all applications to achieve the best (optimized) performance.

Maximum Dimensions of Extruded Heat Sinks

The maximum dimensions we can extrude and cross cut are:

• Maximum width: 400 mm
• Maximum height: 60 mm
• Maximum aspect ratio (Fin height divided by fin gap): 20

Please note the actual manufacturability is affected the fin geometry and other factors. Please contact us to determine if your part can be made.

Available Off-the-Shelf Heat Sinks

We currently offer the following standard heat sinks for customers to choose:

• Plate Fin Heat Sinks
• Cross Cut Heat Sinks

Request a quote for your custom heat sink

Need assistance in designing your heat sink?

We provide design assistance to customers. Please let us know your requirements – and we can help you design a custom heat sink.