Sapa Patents Modular Heat Sink Manufacturing

Sapa Extrusions North America (Rosemont, IL), a world leader in aluminum solutions, has announced that it has been granted a key patent related to its modular heat sink manufacturing method. Their North American Technical Center (NATC), an internal research, design and development facility, created the new method of manufacturing high-ratio heat sinks that are approximately eight percent more thermally efficient than the industry standard.

United States Patent 13/465431, entitled “HEAT SINK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING,” utilizes a modular concept that enables maximum flexibility with fin geometry, fin ratio and heat sink footprint, yielding heat sink ratios in excess of 40:1.

“This patent recognizes our breakthrough work in aluminum extrusion manufacturing and friction stir welding (FSW) technology,” said Mike Tozier, the application engineering manager at Sapa Extrusions. “Not only does this method allow for the production of large-scale heat sinks with very high fin ratios, it is also well-suited for serial production, making these types of heat sinks a competitive product in the marketplace.”

In order to develop the manufacturing method, Sapa conducted a study comparing their NATC-designed FSW heat sink to a traditional heat sink with bonded fins. The study involved experimental testing to validate thermal performance of this new heat sink method during forced convection cooling.

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