Thermal management solutions (TMS) are essential for maximising output in electronics manufacturing, since the production process radiates a good amount of waste heat in a very small area
By Belal Khan
Over the years, many new products have been launched to cater to the very intrinsic need of thermal management in electronics manufacturing. These include resins, silicone and non-silicone pastes, heat spreading materials, adhesives, interface pads and tapes. In recent years, silicone is emerging as a good heat absorbing alternative and offers solutions to several challenges faced in electronics manufacturing, apart from providing designers the freedom to explore new styles and applications. With the high integration in the electronics and LED industries, there is greater demand today for better heat-dissipating materials. So materials that exhibit high thermal conductivity and good insulation, have excellent strength even when super thin, and have a low density are getting popular.
Technology trends
For heat-sinks, the technology trends include lighter weight heat-sink materials and more custom shapes. The latter has become possible because of the advances in manufacturing, including 3D printing.
Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are being made much more thermally conductive to enhance the cooling performance of heat-sinks. This includes the addition of highly thermally conductive fillers such as diamond, graphene and silicon carbides.
Products launched in this category
Company: Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc. Product: Heat-sink attachment
A new heat-sink attachment system can be used with most industry standards, such as off-the-shelf straight fin, pin fin, cross cut and slant fin heat-sinks.
Key features:
- It improves the performance of heat-sinks by up to 20 per cent, and is more resistant to shock and vibration.
- This is the clipKIT system, which features a removable frame and spring clips that securely attach heat-sinks to component packages from 15mm – 45 mm.
USP: Using clipKIT clips eliminates the need for epoxies, screws, push pins or other hardware that often requires holes to be drilled into the PCB.
Contact details: Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc. Ph: 7819492506; 7817699979; nquesnel@qats.com; www.qats.com
Product: Low cost stamped metal heat-sinks
These high quality, low cost, aluminium stamped heat-sinks are ideal for use in TO packages and other power devices.
Key features:
- The simple design of these heat-sinks allows high volume manufacturing and reduces assembly costs.
- These heat-sinks are stamped from anodised aluminium, tin- or copper-plated aluminium.
- They are available for use with TO-220, TO-3, TO-5, TO-126, TO-127, TO-202 and TO-218 components.
USP: Ideal for low power thermal management solutions.
Contact details: Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc. Ph: 7819492506; nquesnel@qats.com; www.qats.com
Company: LANXESS AG Product: Durethan TP 723-620
LANXESS continues to expand its range of polyamides for components used in the thermal management of LEDs and electrical devices. The newest member of the product family, with a high mineral reinforcement, is Durethan TP 723-620.
Key features:
- Because of the shape of the filler particles, the thermal conductivity of the new compound is directionally dependent, reaching 2.5W/mK along the flow trajectory
- It is about 10 times higher than that of the standard polyamide 6, Durethan BKV 30 H2.0, which is reinforced with 30 per cent glass fibres
- Outstanding results in UL 94 flame retardance testing
- High tracking resistance, low density
- Highly versatile
USP: The special feature behind this polyamide 6 is its outstanding thermal conductivity combined with high light reflection and excellent flame retardance.
Contact details: Ph: +49 221 8885-1684; Ilona.kawan@lanxess.com; www.lanxess.com
Company: Electrolube Product: SCTP
Launched by Electrolube in November 2015, SCTP is not a standard thermal paste. The surface of the material forms a stable cross-linked system that holds the material in place, even during challenging thermal cycling conditions. However, SCTP does not set to a hard compound and, therefore, can still be reworked easily. Thus, it offers the stability of a cured bonding product with the option to easily rework the unit, if needed. This is ideal for those who are looking to enhance the efficiency of their LED lighting systems or trying to improve the lifetime of the products, especially in challenging conditions.
SCTP is a thermal interface material that’s suitable for the efficient thermal coupling of electrical components. It is specially designed to resist pumping out from the bond line, and can be applied using industrial dispensing equipment or via screen/stencil printing techniques.
Key features:
- Prevents the pumping out of the thermal interface material
- Attains high thermal stability
- Can be readily applied without the need for a solvent
- Can be used with applications that require high thermal conductivity
- Enables simple and efficient reworking of components
- Minimises the outcomes resulting from the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
USP: It is thermally stable, especially during harsh thermal cycles or shock conditions
Contact details: Ph: +91 9880007130, padmanabha.shakthivelu@electrolube.in, www.electrolube.in
Company: Electrolube Product: ER2221
ER2221 is an encapsulation resin that is used for protecting driver units. The product was launched in November 2015, and offers both protection from the surrounding environment and efficient heat dissipation in a single package. It has enhanced thermal conductivity and low viscosity to aid potting processes of highly populated and small PCBs. ER2221 is a highly temperature-resistant, thermally conductive, two-part encapsulation compound based on epoxy technology. Designed to meet the increasing demand for efficient thermal dissipation, it combines ease of processing with an enhanced thermal conductivity when compared to traditional thermally conductive encapsulants. It also offers enhanced performance in high temperature applications as well as those subject to thermal cycling.
Key features:
- Has thermal conductivity of 1.20W/mK
- Works at high temperatures up to 170ºC
- Is moderately viscous
- Does not require the use of any abrasive fillers
- Can be readily mixed
USP: Improved thermal conductivity, low viscosity and a high level of protection
Contact details: Ph: +91 9880007130, padmanabha.shakthivelu@electrolube.in, www.electrolube.in
Company: Drive Technologies Product: 8400 nano-carbon heat powder
8400 is a thermal black powder, comprising a resin, thermally conductive powder, graphene and other ingredients. It can be sprayed on a radiator of any shape. After high temperature curing and uniform coverage in the radiator, it gives high wear resistance, good acid and alkali resistance as well as high thermal performance.
Key features:
- Simple to use
- Good thermal conductivity and heat dissipation
- Good thermal stability, chemical stability and weather resistance
- Good heat dissipation; can be sprayed on different radiators; cooling effect increased by 15-25 per cent as it is a new type of coolant
- Can be widely used in LEDs, computers, communications and consumer electronics. This heat dissipation material improves work performance by simplifying design, reducing costs and avoiding thermal damage
USP: Can be sprayed on metal and plastic radiator surfaces
Contact details: Ph: +919372227245, prasad@drivetech.in/drivetechpune@gmail.com
Company: Covestro Product: Makrolon TC8030 polycarbonate
Covestro has launched the special polycarbonate Makrolon TC8030 (TC stands for ‘thermally conductive’), which has a high thermal conductivity of 20W/mK. Compared to the aluminium typically used, this plastic offers both thermal conductivity and a high degree of design freedom.
Thermally conductive polycarbonate will open the doors to a new generation of cooling elements, because despite its high viscosity, the material is easy to process to a high level of quality by means of injection moulding.
Key features:
- Makrolon TC8030 polycarbonate is part of a selection of heat-resistant Bayer plastics developed for LED applications
- When compared with aluminium, a common material in heat-sinks, it offers a similar thermal performance while helping reduce costs and enhance design freedom
- Makrolon TC8030 is processed by injection moulding
- It gives designers the freedom to create non-traditional shapes and optimise joining techniques
- Additionally, it can be used to mould LEDs on the printed circuit board in the heat-sink assembly to reduce costs
- Thermally conductivity – 22W/mK
- Corrosion-resistant
- Low density
- Heat-resistant
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 94 flame class rating of V-0 at 2.0mm and a f1 listing
USP: Offers both thermal conductivity and a high degree of design freedom
Contact: pcsproductservice@covestro.com; www.covestro.com.
