Selecting suitable heat sink: -Features to look for

All electronic devices like computers, power transistors, HVAC systems, gas water heaters and geothermal heating and cooling devices require a specific amount of power or temperature to perform. Hence, these machines require a specific device to regulate the temperature and prevent the overheating of its components. Heat sinks are those devices that absorb, transfer or disperse the excess temperature from the device to the environment or any coolant medium, thereby ensuring the operational integrity of the machine and its long life.

Most heat sinks are made of aluminium or copper alloys or they may be made of composite materials. Aluminium heat sinks are widely preferred due to their high thermal conductivity, resistance to corrosion and low weight.

Buying high-quality heat sinks from an experienced and reliable supplier will ensure that your electronic devices run optimally and give a long lasting performance.

Selecting a suitable heat sink requires that you consider on following factors to make the best choice:-

  1. Select a renowned heat sink supplier

When it comes to buying a suitable heat sink then you should select a hardware supplier that is known for providing high-quality materials at a quick turnaround time. The supplier should maintain a well-stocked inventory of hardware or machine components and should be certified and competent to meet your industrial needs in a trouble-free manner.

  1. Size and type of heat sink

Based on the power consumption and size of your electronic device you should select heat sink that suits well to your heat regulation requirements. You can check the size and type of heat sink and discuss with the expert to select the most suitable type that will provide the best results.

  1. Compare performance of two heat sinks

Some of the materials that are used to design heat sinks are aluminium, copper, diamond or composite materials like copper-tungsten pseudo alloys, Dymalloy and AlSiC (silicon carbide in aluminium matrix). You can compare the performance and efficiency level of two heat sinks and select the best one.

Although copper has around twice the conductivity of aluminium, but it is three times heavier than the later and around four to six times more expensive than aluminium. Aluminium can be extruded, but copper cannot. Copper heat sinks are machined and skived. Hence, aluminium Heat Sink is widely preferred over copper heat sinks in most machines.

  1. Check the thermal resistance and thermal conductivity value

Each heat sink has an approximate value of thermal resistance that makes it easy to select suitable heat sink. Thermal resistance is defined as the rise in temperature of the device per unit power. Lower the value of thermal resistance, higher will be the efficiency of a heat sink.

  1. Select heat sink that ensures long life and reliable performance of the device

The performance and life expectancy of a device are inversely related to the increase in the temperature of the component. When you select a highly efficient heat sink that effectively controls the device temperature within the permissible limits then it ensures long life and reliable performance from the device.

 

Summary

Buying suitable heat sink from a renowned hardware supplier is essential to ensure that your device performs efficiently and provides you long lasting services. This article discusses various factors to consider when selecting an efficient heat sink that suits well with your electronic device.

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