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 both steel, nylon and bronze push pins in various sizes. They are developed to fit 3.0, 2.5 and 1.5 mm diameter holes.

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.

Low-Profile Screws (made of stainless steel)

Low-profile screws are developed to hold heat sink 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.

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How to choose the right push pins

Spring loaded push pins are an easy-to-use and highly effective method to secure heatsinks to 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 steels.

Nylon push pins are cost effective and perform well when the ambient temperature is relatively low. But 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 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 reducing 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 reduce.

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 for 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 3.0, 2.5 and 1.5 mm diameter holes.

Cannot find the right push pin or screw?

Please tell us your requirements – we will conduct a search (or design a custom part) for you.