What is a Heat Sink?
Heat sinks dissipate heat from heat sources to ambient air with increased surface area to maximize heat transfer. Heat sinks come in a variety of constructions, but they all collect heat into a base, conduct heat to fins with more surface area, and conduct heat to air.
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Cost-effective and readily-available solutions
Broadest Heat Sink Offerings
From small, stamped aluminum heat sinks cool discrete semiconductors at board level to extremely large advanced fin types and unique heat sink geometries.
Improve Performance
Increase surface contact with ambient air to transfer more heat.
What Are Heat Sinks?
Heat sinks are passive cooling components that dissipate heat from electronic devices or systems that generate high heat loads, such as computers, servers, and industrial equipment. Main heat sink components include a base and a series of fins made from high thermal conductivity materials like aluminum or copper. By carrying heat to the surrounding air, heat sinks ensure high thermal performance and prevent system failure or damage.
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How Do Heat Sinks Work?
Heat sinks transfer heat away from a device or heat source and into the surrounding environment using conduction, convection, and radiation. Generated heat is conducted through a high thermal conductivity heat sink base which conducts energy into heat sink fins. Heat sink fin added surface area increases heat transfer to the surrounding air with conduction. As air passes over these heat sink fins, it absorbs the heat from the heat sink and convects it away, either through natural convection or forced convection with a fan or blower.
Integrate Heat Sinks with More Boyd Thermal Technologies
While standalone heat sinks are suitable for many applications, heat sinks integrated with fans, heat pipes, or liquid cooling systems boost cooling capacity, enable customized design, streamline installation, and provide comprehensive thermal management for demanding applications. Boyd’s comprehensive thermal portfolio enables us to serve our customers with a best fit solution for their applications.
High Fin Densities and More Design Flexibility
Improve air cooling performance with fans or advanced heat sink constructions like skiving, die casting, or bonding to improve fin aspect ratio and fin density for higher heat applications. Advanced heat sinks use more complex manufacturing methods or leverage multiple processes to construct a base and fin have greater design flexibility compared to standard extruded or stamped heat sinks. Advanced heat sink constructions include skived fin and die cast heat sinks and bonded or brazed fin heat sinks using zipper or folded fin stacks.
Cost Effective Air Cooling
An extruded aluminum heat sink is one of the most popular and cost-efficient heat sink fabrication methods. Boyd produces a wide variety of extruded heat sink options that can be customized with various mounting methods, pre-applied thermal interface materials, and other features to streamline assembly into your PCB.
Board-Level Stamped Cooling Solutions
Stamped Heat Sinks are a cost-effective solution that add surface area to increase heat transfer for board level products. These heat sinks are formed through progressive punching processes, where details and features are progressively added with each stamp of sheet metal going through the punching die. Stamped Heat Sinks are designed for specific electronic package types to ensure optimized fit and function. These heat sinks come in a variety of mounting methods, including solder tabs and pins, interference fit with the device through integrated clips or slide-on features, or through-hole hardware like screws and nuts. Most Stamped Heat Sinks are available with a finish to improve heat radiation and thermal performance for natural convection applications.
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Popular Stamped Heat Sinks
| Part Number | Length (mm) | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Primary Device Types | Materials | RoHS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6000DG | 6.35 | 25.4 | 25.4 | Axial Lead | Cu (Tin) | Compliant |
| 6021BG | 12.7 | 25.4 | 29.97 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 6043BG | 6.81 | 20.32 | 25.4 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 6238B-MTG | 15.49 | 25.53 | 29.44 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 7020B-MTG | 11.94 | 33.20 | 36.83 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 7023B-MTG | 24.13 | 48.26 | 49.53 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 7106DG | 14.99 | 25.91 | 9.52 | D2 Pak (TO-263), SO-10 (MO-184) | Cu (Tin) | Compliant |
| 7109DG | 11.43 | 25.4 | 19.38 | D2 Pak, TO-263 | Cu (Tin) | Compliant |
| 7136DG | 13.08 | 13.21 | 21.54 | TO-220* | Cu (Tin) | Compliant |
| 7141DG | 13.08 | 13.21 | 19.8 | TO-220* | Cu (Tin) | Compliant |
| 507302B00000G | 19.05 | 19.05 | 9.65 | TO-220 | Al | Compliant |
| 530614B00000G | 29.97 | 25.4 | 12.7 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 534202B02853G | 12.7 | 25.4 | 29.97 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 563002T00000G | 12.7 | 25.4 | 29.97 | TO-220** | Al (Paint) | Compliant |
| 566010B03400G | 12.7 | 25.4 | 30.99 | Multiwatt, SIP | Al | Compliant |
| 573100D00000G | 8 | 22.86 | 10.16 | D-Pak, TO-252 | Al (Tin) | Compliant |
| 574502B03300G | 9.02 | 21.84 | 19.05 | TO-220 | Al | Compliant |
| 574502B03700G | 9.02 | 21.84 | 19.05 | TO-220 | Al | Compliant |
| 576802B00000G | 12.7 | 12.7 | 19.05 | TO-220*, TO-262 | Al | Compliant |
| 576802B03100G | 12.7 | 12.7 | 19.05 | TO-220*, TO-262 | Al | Compliant |
| 576802B04000G | 12.7 | 12.7 | 19.05 | TO-220*, TO-262 | Al | Compliant |
| 577102B00000G | 9.52 | 13.21 | 19.05 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 577202B00000G | 12.7 | 13.21 | 19.05 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 592502B03400G | 6.35 | 22.22 | 31.75 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 593002B03400G | 12.7 | 23.93 | 29.97 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| 593202B03500G | 12.2 | 25.5 | 50.8 | TO-220* | Al | Compliant |
| PF750G | 11 | 22 | 19 | TO-220* | Al (Tin) | Compliant |
Heat Sink Accessories
A complete thermal management solution requires not only the main method of heat transfer like a heat sink, but additional components for installation and optimal performance. Thermal Accessories include items like hardware to mount the cooling solution and heat sources together, thermally conductive insulation, and thermal interface materials.
Folded Fin Stock
Folded Fin Stock is manufactured in a progressive stamping process that folds sheet metals into fin stacks that increases surface area to improve cooling when used as heat transfer fins. Boyd varies heat transfer fin material, configuration, thickness, and density to boost the performance of other thermal management technologies including heat exchangers, heat sinks, and vacuum brazed cold plates. Our manufacturing flexibility and thermal innovation allows us to extend thermal performance of existing cooling technologies in an application, negating the need to transition to next level cooling technologies for increasing heat loads.
Heat Sink Mounting Kits
Boyd’s mounting kits are pre-packaged in heat-sealed plastic bags for easy use on an assembly line. Boyd offers kits for DO-4, DO-5, TO-220, TO-3 and TO-66 device packages. Mounting kits for DO-4 and DO-5 include an insulator, bushing, washer, lock washer, and hex nut. For TO-220, TO-3 and TO-66 devices, kits include 1-2 screws, insulating material, bushing, washer, lock washer, and hex nut.
Popular Mounting Kits
| Part Number | Device Types | Contents of Kit |
|---|---|---|
| 4880G | TO-220 | Qty 1, Thermalfilm Insulator Qty 1, Shoulder Washer Qty 1, Flat Washer #4 Qty 1, No. 4-40 UNC-2B, Hex Nut Qty 1, No. 4-40 UNC-2A x 1/2 in. Long Phillips Pan Head Screw Qty 1, Lockwasher, No.4. |
| 4880SG | TO-220 | Qty 1, In-Sil-8 Insulator Qty 1, Shoulder Washer Qty 1, Flat Washer #4 Qty 1, No. 4-40 UNC-2B, Hex Nut Qty 1, No. 4-40 UNC-2A X, 1/2 in. Long Phillips Pan Head Screw Qty 1, Lockwasher, No.4. |
Solder Anchors
Solder Anchors are wire loops used to lock down heat sinks with spring clips, such as Z-Clips, to the printed circuit board (PCB). Solder Anchors are soldered directly into the PCB and enable secure mounting for rugged applications and easy maintenance rework. When used in conjunction with Z-Clips, Solder Anchors improve thermal contact between the heat sink and device, reduce thermal interface resistance, and minimize keep out areas.
Heat Sink Spring Clips
Heat Sink Spring Clips are an effective way to quickly mount electronic devices with TO package types to extruded heat sinks. Reduce interface resistance between the heat source and heat sink solution to improve thermal performance by utilizing Heat Sink Spring Clips. Spring Clips are designed to work in conjunction with an extruded profile’s geometry to ensure adequate mounting pressure on the device.
Card Ejectors & Pullers
PCB card ejectors, pullers, and snap-on hardware aid safe card insertion and extraction. PCB cards, their components, and connectors are less frequently damaged during extraction from PC boards when using appropriate ejector, puller, and extractor hardware. Single piece snap-on PCB Ejectors and Pullers reduce assembly time and complexity and are excellent for retrofit applications.
Heat Shields
Boyd Heat Shields are a cost-efficient way to protect electronics and devices from environmental heat by absorbing, dissipating, or reflecting heat away from the application. Heat Shields are ideal to optimize applications that need to be lightweight and compact as they are extremely low profile, reliable, light weight and flexible. Heat shields are a low cost, high value integration to optimize thermal management systems.
Bushings and Shoulder Washers
Bushings, washers, and spacers electrically insulate hardware such as screws, rivets, or wires, reduce vibration, and can be used as a guide for materials. Insulating bushings and washers offer mechanical benefits, electrical insulation, and environmental protection such NVH and shock. They increase device structural integrity, electrical performance, and reliability.
Insulating shoulder washers bear similarities to bushings and vary in geometry and materials for NVH and protection as well as electrical and thermal insulation. Often constructed of aluminum alloys, they can also be made from a range of flexible or rigid materials to suit the application.
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