Heat sink attachment hardware plays a vital role in thermal management. A good attachment method can improve the performance of the interface material, ensure continuous operation in harsh environments, and extend the life of the product. Our innovative captive screws, low profile screws, and push pins are designed to pass rigorous thermal and mechanical tests involving high-temperature, thermal cycling, shock, and vibration conditions and give you peace of mind when designing your products.
- Spring-loaded push pins are easy to use and highly effective. They provide precise and controllable pressure between the heat sinks and components. Read More
- Captive Screws are one of the most secure and convenient methods to attach heat sinks and control the pressure on the heat-generating devices (CPU, ASIC, LED, TEC, etc). Read More
- Low-profile screws are developed to hold heat sinks in a system where vertical space is minimal. Read More
Push Pins (made of spring steel, nylon or bronze)
Spring-loaded push pins are an easy-to-use and highly effective method to secure heat sinks to heat-generating components and PCBs. They provide precise and controllable pressure between the heat sinks and components and optimize the performance of thermal interface materials. Steel push pins are recommended for high-temperature and harsh-environment systems or when electrical conduction is required. Nylon push pins are recommended for cost-sensitive systems or when electrical insulation is required. We offer various sizes of stainless steel, nylon, and bronze push pins. They are developed to fit holes of 3.0, 2.5, and 1.5 mm diameter.
| Part Number | Material | Hole Dia. ØD (mm) | L (mm) | A (mm) | B (mm) | C (mm) | E (mm) | F (mm) | G (mm) | Quote | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S601-1370-001 | Stainless Steel | 3.0 | 13.7 | 1.2 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 3.5 | Quote | Sample |
| S601-1650-001 | Stainless Steel | 3.0 | 16.5 | 1.5 | 13.5 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 3.5 | Quote | Sample |
| S601-2000-001 | Stainless Steel | 3.0 | 20.0 | 1.5 | 17 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 3.5 | Quote | Sample |
| S616-1750-001 | Nylon, White | 3.0 | 17.5 | 1.6 | 12.8 | 3.1 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 | Quote | Sample |
| S616-1750-002 | Nylon, Black | 3.0 | 17.5 | 1.6 | 12.8 | 3.1 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 | Quote | Sample |
| S616-1380-001 | Nylon, White | 3.0 | 13.8 | 1.6 | 9.0 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 | Quote | Sample |
| S616-1380-002 | Nylon, Black | 3.0 | 13.8 | 1.6 | 9.0 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 | Quote | Sample |
| S612-1370-001 | PHR Bronze | 2.5 | 13.7 | 1.2 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 3.0 | Quote | Sample |
| S612-1650-001 | PHR Bronze | 2.5 | 16.5 | 1.5 | 13.5 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 3.0 | Quote | Sample |
Captive Screws (made of stainless steel)
Captive screws are one of the most secure and convenient methods to attach heat sinks and to control the pressure on the heat-generating devices (CPU, ASIC, LED, TEC, etc). A captive screw has a flat surface (shoulder) above the threads that provides a hard stop on the PCB so it cannot be over-tightened, and the pressure on the device can be precisely controlled through the selection of spring. The retaining clip holds the screw in place so the heat sink can be easily installed on the PCB. For large heat sinks, a back plate can be used to reinforce the PCB and prevent stress or bending of the PCB.
| Part Number | Thread Size ØD (mm) | Material | L (mm) | A (mm) | B (mm) | C (mm) | ØE (mm) | ØF (mm) | Spring W.D. (mm) | Quote | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S620-2200-001 | M4 X 0.7 | Stainless Steel | 22.0 | 1.5 | 16.0 | 4.5 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 0.8 | Quote | Sample |
| S621-1600-001 | M3 X 0.5 | Stainless Steel | 16.0 | 1.5 | 11.0 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 0.6 | Quote | Sample |
| S621-1750-001 | M3 X 0.5 | Stainless Steel | 17.5 | 1.5 | 11.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 0.6 | Quote | Sample |
| S621-2250-001 | M3 X 0.5 | Stainless Steel | 22.5 | 3.0 | 16.0 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 0.6 | Quote | Sample |
| S623-1600-001 | M2.5 X 0.45 | Stainless Steel | 16.0 | 1.5 | 10.0 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 0.6 | Quote | Sample |
| S623-2000-001 | M2.5 X 0.45 | Stainless Steel | 20.0 | 1.5 | 14.0 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 0.6 | Quote | Sample |
| S624-1400-001 | M2 X 0.4 | Stainless Steel | 14.0 | 1.3 | 9.2 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 0.6 | Quote | Sample |
| S625-1200-001 | M1.6 X 0.35 | Stainless Steel | 12.0 | 1.2 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 2.0 | 0.5 | Quote | Sample |
Low-Profile Screws (made of stainless steel)
Low-profile screws are developed to hold heat sinks in a system where vertical space is highly limited. They are ideal for video cards, PCI cards, mobile devices and other space-sensitive applications. The screws are made of stainless steel, and the springs are made of music wire.
| Part Number | Thread Size ØD (mm) | Material | L (mm) | A (mm) | B (mm) | C (mm) | ØE (mm) | ØF (mm) | H (mm) | Quote | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S631-0700-003 | M2 X 0.4 | Stainless Steel | 7.0 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 2.9 | 1.5-2.0 | Quote | Sample |
| S631-0850-003 | M2 X 0.4 | Stainless Steel | 8.5 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 1.5-2.0 | Quote | Sample |
| S632-0700-003 | M2.5 X 0.45 | Stainless Steel | 7.0 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 2.9 | 1.5-2.0 | Quote | Sample |
| S632-0900-003 | M2.5 X 0.45 | Stainless Steel | 9.0 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 2.9 | 1.5-2.0 | Quote | Sample |
| S633-0700-003 | M3 X 0.5 | Stainless Steel | 7.0 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 1.5-2.0 | Quote | Sample |
How to choose the right push pins
Spring-loaded push pins are an easy-to-use and highly effective method to secure heatsinks for heat-generating components and PCBs. They provide precise and uniform pressure between the heatsinks and components and optimize the performance of thermal interface materials. Push pins can be made of nylon, brass, or steel.
Nylon push pins are cost-effective and perform well when the ambient temperature is relatively low. However, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of nylon 6/6 (PA66), the most popular material used in making push pins, is only 45-50°C. Above its Tg, the material will change from its glassy state to a rubbery state and become soft and flexible. For this reason, we recommend nylon push pins for low-temperature and cost-sensitive applications or when electrical insulation is required.
Brass push pins, on the other hand, can withstand high temperatures. They are also electronically conductive and can help reduce EMI by grounding the heat sinks to the PCB. Brass is often preferred over other metals because of their machinability and cost-effectiveness. But brass is prone to work hardening and cannot be heat treated (it becomes soft when heat is applied). Without proper release of the work-hardening stress, the reliability and reusability will be reduced.
Steel push pins are similar to brass push pins. They can withstand high temperatures and are electronically conductive. Unlike brass, steels have high yield strength, and their work-hardening stress can be easily removed through heat treatment. As a result, the push pins can be repeatedly inserted and extracted from PCB holes more than a hundred times without apparent degradation. They are also more secure than brass push pins when the system experiences strong vibration or shock. We recommend steel push pins for high-temperature and harsh-environment systems or when electrical conduction is required.
At MyHeatSinks, we offer both steel and nylon push pins in various sizes. They are developed to fit holes of 3.0, 2.5, and 1.5 mm in diameter.
Cannot find the right push pin or screw?
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