Bonded fin heat sinks are an assembly of a grooved base with individual fins bonded into the grooves. This type of heat sink fabrication allows for higher fin densities and fin aspect ratios which greatly improve thermal performance due to the increased surface area.
Bonded fin types can be constructed in a number of methods. Grooved bases can be extruded, die cast, or machined. Fins are either punched from coil stock or cut from thin plate stock. The fins and bases are joined together by epoxying, brazing or soldering.
The epoxy used for bonding is specially formulated to have high thermal conductivity, however brazing offers greater structural integrity and the best thermal performance. Aavid employs a variety of brazing techniques including CAB, vacuum, and dip brazing. Any bonded fin heat sink assembly that contains copper components must be soldered or brazed.
Aavid's broad portfolio of standard extruded bases and standard cut aluminum fins allows us to quickly design and manufacture semi-custom epoxy bonded fin solutions as well as fully custom heat sinks and systems featuring bonded or brazed fin types.
Applications
- Thermoelectric modules
- Uninterruptable power supplies (UPS)
- Variable speed motor controls
- AC welding switches
- Power rectification equipment
- Laser power supplies
- Traction drives
Benefits/Features
- Lower Tooling Costs
- No Limit on Length of Airflow
- Improved Thermal Performance
- Wide Range of Material and Fabrication Options
Aavid Options for Custom Solutions
- Fin densities of 100+ per inch
- Materials: Aluminum, Copper, SS, inconel
- Fin material can differ from base material
- Fin thickness typically from .010” to .080” (other thickness as needed)
- Brazed, soldered or thermal epoxy bonded depending on thermal resistance required
- Fins can easily be non-uniform geometry with no post machining
