Low Cost, High Performance, High Volume Heatsinks

Higher-powered electronics are being integrated into automobiles rapidly. With these electronics comes a problem of how to cool this equipment economically. Heatsink costs have not benefited nor adapted to the high volume nature of automotive electronics. Specially shaped heatsinks are much more efficient for a given size than aluminum extrusion-based ones, most prevalent used in automobiles. However, machining costs precede specially shaped heatsink use in most automotive applications. High purity extruded aluminum has always been a good heatsink material for electronic components. Casting aluminum to create more efficient and useful shapes has a severe penalty in thermal conductivity due to the impurities necessary for casting. Porosity is another significant factor lowering the thermal conductivity in both die and hand cast aluminum. I will show a new heatsink design and material process that allows porosity free, low cost heatsinks to be diecast into complicated 3D shapes. A cost and performance analysis comparing different high volume heatsink manufacturing methods, die cost, and per piece cost will be examined between various commercial copper-based, zinc, zinc-aluminum, and aluminum die casting materials. Additionally, I will show where the automotive industry can benefit from these technologies and where they may not be as appropriate.