Custom Heat Sink-Stacked Fin Heat Sink
A stacked fin heat sink is a cooling device used to dissipate heat from electronic components. It features vertically stacked thin metal fins that create a high-density arrangement. This design increases the surface area for air to flow through, enhancing heat transfer and cooling efficiency. Stacked fin heat sinks are commonly found in electronics like computers and graphics cards, offering compact and effective passive cooling solutions.
Our stacked fin heat sink showcases cooling base plates on either side, flanking heatsink fins in the center. We specialize in tailored stacked fin heat sinks, available in aluminum or copper, based on your specific needs.
Stacked Fin Heat Sinks
Parts of Our Products
| Material | copper/aluminum |
| Thickness | Based on your requirements. |
| Shapes | Based on your requirements. |
| Color | Based on your requirements. |
| Length | customized length |
| MOQ | Low MOQ |
| Application | Inverter / Inverter / Power / IGBT / Rectifier / LED Lighting / Welding Machine / Communication Equipment / Electronics Industry / Solid State Relay / Controller / Electromagnetic Heating |
| Deep process | CNC, drilling,milling,cutting,stamping,welding,bending,assembling,Custom Aluminum Fabrication |
| Film Thickness | Anodized: Customized. Normal thickness: 8 um-25um. Powder Coating: Customized. Normal thickness: 60-120 um. |
| Certificate | CE/SGS/ISO/Rohs |
| Service | 1. Free sample, Free design. 2. OEM/ODM available. 3. Custom-made request. 4. New design solution suggestion. |
We eagerly anticipate exchanging expertise for your upcoming projects. Reach out to us today.
Thermal Design&Thermal Simulation
● Efficient Cooling in Vertical Orientation
● Aesthetic Appeal
● Versatility
● Improved Structural Integrity
Our Workshop
send 3D and CAD drawing, confirm production details
confirm the order and start to make samples.
Customization Process
surface treatment confirmation.
send samples to confirm quality and product details
we send the quotation to your for review.
after sample is confirmed, we will start mass production
The Process of Heat Sink Production
Our Packaging
Referred to as zipper fin or snapped fin, our stacked fin heat sink is crafted using stamped sheets of curved copper or aluminum. This process results in an array of fins, contributing to its unique design.
The stacked fin heat sink operates under high pressure, effectively pressing multiple fins, single extrusions, and individual fins together. This design creates a recognizable cooling structure. These heat sinks feature both bottom and top base plates, making them well-suited for mounting power devices.
Our stacked fin heat sink offers numerous benefits for your applications. Tone's stacked fin heat sink is renowned in the market for its superior thermal performance, extended service life, simplified maintenance and installation, reduced manufacturing costs, and increased strength. When compared to extrusion heat sinks, our stacked fin heat sink delivers enhanced performance. Its thinner fin profiles are especially advantageous, resulting in lower pressure drop and greater surface area.
With our cutting-edge manufacturing and engineering expertise, we are fully equipped to tackle even the most challenging thermal issues. Our solutions provide valuable support to the telecom, electronics, and networking industries
keep reading to learn more about stamping heat sink
A stacked fin heat sink is a cooling device with vertically arranged thin metal fins that efficiently dissipate heat from electronic components through enhanced airflow and convection.
What Is A Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
Advantages of Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
● Enhanced Heat Dissipation: The vertical fin arrangement provides a larger surface area for heat transfer, leading to more efficient cooling and improved thermal performance.
● Space Efficiency: Stacked fins allow for effective cooling in tight spaces, making them suitable for compact electronic devices with limited room for cooling solutions.
● Customization: These heat sinks can be tailored in terms of materials (aluminum or copper), dimensions, and fin densities to match specific cooling requirements.
● Improved Airflow: The closely spaced fins encourage better airflow, leading to stronger convection currents that aid in rapid heat dispersion.
● Thermal Efficiency: Stacked fin heat sinks can effectively manage high heat loads, maintaining components at lower temperatures and extending their lifespan.
● Lower Pressure Drop: Thinner fin profiles reduce air resistance, resulting in lower pressure drop and minimized impact on airflow within the system.
● Higher Strength: Stacked fin heat sinks can provide structural rigidity, contributing to the overall robustness of the electronic system.
● Cost-Effectiveness: The manufacturing process of stacked fin heat sinks can be more economical compared to other advanced cooling methods.
● Versatility: They find applications in various industries such as electronics, telecommunications, automotive, and more due to their adaptability to different thermal challenges.
● Ease of Maintenance: Stacked fin heat sinks are generally easier to clean and maintain compared to more intricate cooling solutions.
When fabricating a stacked fin heat sink, various materials can be used, each with its own set of thermal and mechanical properties. The choice of material depends on factors like thermal conductivity, weight, cost, and the specific requirements of the application.
● Aluminum: Aluminum is a widely used material for stacked fin heat sinks due to its relatively high thermal conductivity, lightweight nature, and cost-effectiveness. It's suitable for many electronic applications and offers good heat transfer capabilities.
● Copper: Copper is an excellent thermal conductor, making it highly efficient in transferring heat. Copper heat sinks often provide better thermal performance than aluminum, but they are heavier and more expensive. Copper is preferred in applications where thermal efficiency is critical.
Other materials, though less common, can also be used based on specific needs:
● Copper Alloys: Various copper alloys can provide a balance between thermal performance and cost, making them suitable for applications that require a compromise between aluminum and pure copper.
● Graphite: Graphite is a lightweight and highly efficient conductor of heat, making it useful in applications where weight is a concern. It's commonly used in some high-performance electronics.
● Composite Materials: Some heat sinks use composite materials that combine different properties, such as carbon fiber-reinforced materials that offer both lightweight characteristics and decent thermal conductivity.
The material choice should be made after considering factors like the desired level of thermal performance, weight limitations, cost constraints, and the specific thermal requirements of the components the heat sink will be used for.
Among the range of aluminum grades available, the following options offer distinct properties:
● Aluminum 1050 features high thermal conductivity but low strength.
● Aluminum 6060, 6061, and 6063 possess suitable mechanical traits but exhibit lower conductivity.
Copper remains a viable material choice due to its numerous advantages:
● Remarkable thermal conductivity, twice that of aluminum.
● Resistance to corrosion.
● Antimicrobial properties.
These attributes position copper as a premium selection when crafting stacked fin heat sinks.
What Types of Materials Will You Use When Fabricating A Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
A stacked fin heat sink serves to transport heat away from devices into the surrounding cooler environment.
Simultaneously, it augments the contact surface area with the cooler air.
Dissipating heat involves three key processes: conduction, convection, and radiation.
Conduction occurs when two bodies with differing temperatures come into contact, facilitating energy transfer from the warmer to the cooler surface through thermal conductivity.
By means of this mechanism, operational heat is effectively drawn away from the device, enhancing its durability.
What is The Operational Principle of A Stacked Fin Heat Sink Operate?
The versatile application of stacked fin heat sinks is notably prominent in electronic equipment and devices. This prominence stems from the fact that electronic devices tend to generate substantial heat during operation.
Furthermore, these devices lack autonomous heat regulation capabilities. The accumulation of heat within electronic devices can detrimentally impact their performance, including the functioning of semiconductors. This phenomenon can lead to component failure, causing equipment damage.
Assessing the thermal performance of electronic equipment comprehensively is a demanding and time-intensive undertaking. Hence, stacked fin heat sinks provide supplementary cooling to such devices, achieving this by dissipating heat from components like diodes, integrated circuits, voltage regulators, and transistors into the surrounding environment.
Stacked fin heat sinks also find utility in various other domains, including:
● Industrial facilities
● Gas water heaters
● Cooling units
● Power plants
● Geothermal cooling and heating systems
● Forced air heating systems
● HVAC units
● Solar thermal water systems
In Which Areas Will You Use A Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
When fabricating a stacked fin heat sink, several crucial aspects must be taken into consideration to ensure its effectiveness and suitability for the intended application.
Material Selection: Choosing the right material, such as aluminum or copper, based on factors like thermal conductivity, weight, and cost, is essential to achieve optimal heat transfer performance.
● Fin Design: The design of the fins, including their height, thickness, and spacing, affects the heat sink's efficiency. Properly designed fins maximize surface area for effective heat dissipation.
● Baseplate Configuration: The baseplate provides a connection between the heat sink and the heat source. Its design should ensure good thermal contact and mechanical stability.
● Manufacturing Method: The chosen manufacturing technique (extrusion, stamping, machining, etc.) impacts the heat sink's complexity, cost, and precision.
● Surface Finish: The surface finish can impact heat transfer and corrosion resistance. A smooth and clean surface enhances thermal contact.
● Thermal Interface Material (TIM): Selecting the appropriate TIM between the heat sink and the heat source helps improve heat transfer and overall thermal performance.
● Application Environment: Consider the conditions in which the heat sink will operate, including temperature, humidity, and vibration. These factors can influence material choice and design.
● Mounting Mechanism: The method of attaching the heat sink to the heat source is important for effective heat transfer and mechanical stability.
● Size and Form Factor: The dimensions of the heat sink should be tailored to fit within the available space while providing efficient cooling.
● Thermal Simulation and Testing: Conducting thermal simulations or tests can validate the heat sink's performance and help optimize its design for specific applications.
● Manufacturability and Cost: The chosen design should be feasible to manufacture within budget constraints, considering factors like material wastage and complexity.
● Regulatory Requirements: Ensure the heat sink design complies with relevant safety and regulatory standards for the intended application. ● Maintenance Considerations: Ease of cleaning and maintenance should also be factored in, as a well-maintained heat sink ensures long-term performance.
What Aspects Are Worth Considering When Fabricating A Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
The fabrication process of a stacked fin heat sink involves subjecting multiple fins to high pressure, resulting in a unified stacked heat sink structure.
To begin, aluminum extrusions are initially segmented into individual pieces. Precision is essential, ensuring that the cuts align precisely with the engineering design depicted in the blueprints.
Subsequently, these individual segments are combined through a technique called stamping, effectively forming the composite structure of the stacked fin heat sink.
Lastly, surface machining operations, such as fly-cutting, are carried out on the nearly completed stacked fin heat sink to refine its appearance and characteristics.
Furthermore, the production of the final stacked fin heat sink can involve additional procedures, including:
● Drilling
● Tapping
● Grooving
What is The Process of Making A Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
Active stacked fin heat sink
passive stacked fin heat sink
hybrid stacked fin heat sink
How Does An Active, Passive, And Hybrid Stacked Fin Heat Sink Compare?
● Active Version:
In this iteration, forced air is harnessed to augment fluid flow within the system. For instance, it integrates a fan or blower to induce forced air movement. The fan propels cool air across the heated heat sink, intensifying the thermal gradient and thereby bolstering heat dissipation.
● Passive Version:
This rendition relies on natural convection, allowing the buoyancy of hot air to facilitate its movement within the unit. These designs don't necessitate additional power units to dissipate heat. Nevertheless, their efficacy falls short of that of active stacked fin heat sinks.
● Hybrid Version:
This variant amalgamates active and passive heat sink features. The active component engages solely when temperatures escalate beyond the capabilities of the passive system to manage.
Heat Dissipation Requirements: Evaluate the amount of heat that needs to be dissipated by the heat sink to ensure it can effectively handle the thermal load of your components.
● Thermal Conductivity: Choose a material with appropriate thermal conductivity (aluminum or copper) to ensure efficient heat transfer from the heat source to the fins.
● Dimensions and Form Factor: Ensure that the heat sink's size and shape are compatible with the available space in your device or system.
● Fins Design: Consider the fin design, including fin density, height, and thickness, to maximize surface area for heat transfer while maintaining proper airflow.
● Airflow Conditions: Assess whether the application allows for sufficient natural convection or if forced airflow (fan or blower) will be needed for efficient cooling.
● Mounting Options: Determine the best method for mounting the heat sink onto the heat-generating component to ensure proper thermal contact.
● Material Cost: Balance the thermal performance benefits with the material cost to meet your budget requirements.
● Environmental Factors: Consider the operating environment, including temperature, humidity, and presence of contaminants, to select a heat sink with suitable corrosion resistance.
● Application Type: Different applications may have specific requirements. For example, electronics, industrial systems, or automotive applications may demand varying heat sink characteristics.
● Power Consumption: If using an active heat sink with a fan or blower, consider the power consumption and noise level of the fan to ensure it aligns with your application's needs.
● Maintenance: Evaluate how easily the heat sink can be cleaned and maintained over time.
● Longevity and Reliability: Choose a heat sink that can withstand long-term operation without degradation, ensuring the reliability of your system.
● Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that the selected heat sink meets any relevant industry standards or regulations applicable to your application.
● Customization: Some manufacturers offer customized solutions, so assess whether you need a heat sink tailored to your specific requirements.
● Thermal Simulation and Testing: If possible, perform simulations or tests to verify the chosen heat sink's performance in your application's conditions.
What Should Be Considered When Selecting a Suitable Stacked Fin Heat Sink For Your Application?
● Anodizing: Anodization is a common surface treatment for aluminum heat sinks. It creates a protective oxide layer on the surface, improving corrosion resistance and providing a base for additional coatings or dyes.
● Chemical Conversion Coatings: These coatings form a thin protective layer on the surface, enhancing corrosion resistance and providing a surface suitable for subsequent painting or bonding.
● Passivation: Commonly used for stainless steel heat sinks, passivation removes iron contaminants from the surface, enhancing corrosion resistance and preserving the metal's appearance.
● Painting or Powder Coating: Applying paint or powder coating not only enhances aesthetics but also adds a protective layer that guards against corrosion and environmental factors.
● Clear Coating: A clear protective coating can be applied to maintain the natural appearance of the material while protecting it from oxidation and corrosion.
●Electroless Nickel Plating: This plating process can provide enhanced corrosion resistance and improved surface hardness while maintaining good thermal conductivity.
● E-coating: Also known as electrodeposition coating, this process involves immersing the heat sink in a paint bath and using an electric current to deposit the paint evenly across the surface.
● Chromate Conversion Coating: This coating provides corrosion resistance and can also act as a primer for subsequent paint layers.
The choice of surface finish depends on factors such as material type (aluminum, copper, or other metals), the operating environment, desired appearance, and any additional requirements like electrical conductivity or bonding capabilities. Selecting the appropriate finish ensures the stacked fin heat sink remains effective, durable, and visually appealing throughout its service life.
Surface Finish To A Stacked Fin Heat Sink?
● Thermal Conductivity of Material: The material's thermal conductivity (usually aluminum or copper) affects how efficiently heat is transferred from the heat source to the fins.
● Fin Design: The dimensions (height, thickness, spacing) and shape of the fins determine the heat sink's surface area and its ability to maximize heat dissipation through convection.
● Baseplate Design: The baseplate's design and material contribute to thermal contact between the heat source and the heat sink, influencing overall heat transfer.
● Airflow: Adequate airflow over the fins is crucial for heat dissipation. Natural convection or forced airflow (fan or blower) impacts the heat sink's cooling capacity.
● Temperature Difference: The temperature difference between the heat source and the surrounding air affects the rate of heat transfer and the heat sink's efficiency.
● Mounting Method: Proper attachment of the heat sink to the heat source ensures optimal thermal contact, minimizing thermal resistance.
● Thermal Interface Material (TIM): The choice and application of TIM between the heat sink and the heat source play a role in reducing contact resistance.
● Operating Environment: The ambient temperature, humidity, and presence of contaminants influence the heat sink's performance and corrosion resistance.
● Fin Arrangement: The arrangement of fins (stacked or staggered) affects airflow patterns and subsequently heat dissipation.
● Stacking Density: The density of stacked fins affects the available surface area for heat transfer and can impact airflow resistance.
● Fan or Blower Performance (if applicable): In active cooling systems, the fan or blower's speed and airflow rate significantly influence the heat sink's cooling efficiency.
● Thermal Simulation and Testing: Conducting simulations or tests under actual operating conditions helps assess the heat sink's performance and validate its suitability for the application.
● Material Thickness and Quality: The thickness and quality of the heat sink material can impact both thermal conductivity and mechanical stability.
● Heat Source Characteristics: The size, shape, and heat output of the component being cooled influence the heat sink's design requirements.
What Factors Influence a Stacked Fin Heat Sink Performance?
Anticipated developments in stacked fin heat sinks could involve advancements in materials like nanomaterials or improved conductive composites, refined fin designs incorporating intricate geometries, and potential integration with microfluidic channels for more efficient liquid cooling. 3D printing could enable customized and intricate designs, while smart systems integrating sensors and controls might lead to adaptive cooling solutions. Additionally, the trend towards sustainability could drive the exploration of eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes for heat sinks, aligning with broader environmental concerns.