6 Heat Sink Types: Which One is Best for Your Project?

6 Heat Sink Types (By Manufacturing Process)

When discussing the different types of heat sinks, we generally classify them based on their manufacturing process.

Each heat sink manufacturing process has its own advantages and drawbacks. There are a number of different ways to make heat sinks. Let’s take a look at 6 common heat sink types.

#1 – Extruded Heat Sinks

The majority of heat sinks are made from extruded aluminum. The process is useful for most applications. Extruded heat sinks come at a low cost and custom specifications can be easily manufactured. The performance of extruded heat sinks can range from low to high. Their main downside, though, is that dimensions are limited by the maximum width of extrusion. Learn more

#2 – Bonded Heat Sinks

These are normally used for applications that require large-sized heat sinks. One benefit of these is that the base material and fin material can be different. Also, a combination of aluminum and copper fins can be used instead of just one fin material. This allows you to improve thermal performance while adding a minimal amount of weight. Bonded-fin heat sinks generally offer moderate performance and come at a high cost.

#3 – Skived Heat Sinks

Heat sinks produced through this method are normally made from copper. They are produced from a solid block of metal. These heat sinks offer high design flexibility and you can achieve high fin-density. This creates more surface area and opportunity for heat dissipation. They offer medium to high performance, but their drawbacks are generally high weight and directional sensitivity.

#4 – Stamped Heat Sinks

In this process, metal fins are stamped and then soldered onto the base. These are generally used for low-power applications. The advantage of stamped heat sinks is their very low cost due to ease of production automation. However, the biggest drawback is low performance.

#5 – Forged Heat Sinks

Forged heat sinks are made by compressing aluminum or copper and have many applications. Heat sinks can be cold forged or hot forged. These offer medium performance and can be made at low cost for high volumes. However, they offer limited design capabilities.

#6 – CNC Machined Heat Sinks

These offer high thermal conductivity, and you can achieve the most complex geometries with this process. This means you have plenty of flexibility in your design. But, they come at a high cost and the production time for each piece can make them less-than-ideal for high volumes.

Choose the Right Heat Sink Type for Your Needs

Heat sinks help absorb and dissipate the heat generated by electronic devices. You need to be sure you choose the appropriate type based on your design needs and volume requirements.

Remember that sometimes active heat sinks are required for enhanced heat dissipation. But passive heat sinks with no moving parts can be used as well.

Also, when it comes to materials, aluminum offers weight and cost savings, while copper allows the highest level of thermal conductivity.

From extrusion and bonding to forging and machining, there are a number of different manufacturing options available. Each has its advantages and drawbacks.

If aluminum extrusion or CNC machining happen to fit your needs, we can help.

Learn more about our high-quality Asian manufacturing services below.