Lighting Heat Sink

The lighting heat sink is a key mechanical component in the lighting industry. It plays the role of the cooler, absorbs heat from the lighting source, and dissipates into the surrounding environment. The design of heatsink has a critical effect on lighting performance, so it is important to learn some basic knowledge before we dive into the application.

Heat Sink Working Mechanism

In theory, there exists thermal resistance between contact objects, the contact surface is not absolute zero flat without a gap.  As a result, the air between an uneven micros face creates a thermal conductive obstacle because air heat conductivity is very poor.

To solve the problem, it is one part of the job to apply heat dissipate paste between contact surfaces, the paste will fill the micro void and squeeze out the trapped air between contact surfaces. But, the most important job is to design a structured heat sink. The heatsink works as not only a thermal absorber but also a heat dissipater.

To meet the design intent and application requirements, the material of the heatsink must have excellent thermal conductivity and convection rate. Aluminum and copper are the first choices for lighting heat sinks because of their natural and top thermal characteristics.

Heat Sink Classification

The heat sink may be classified into two categories: finned and die-cast. The dividing bases on the manufacturing process adapted to make the heat sink.  The finned is made through a metal deformation process, while the die-cast is from a metal casting process. Furthermore, the finned type breaks down into two types: pin fin heat sink and straight fin heat sink.

In recent years, LED lighting becomes a popular choice because of its lighting efficiency. As a result, the LED heat sink has the fastest development.

Read more:  LED heat sink: the thermal conductivity basic you need to know.

In conclusion, the heat sink is a necessary function component of the lighting system, lighting lamps will burn out and result in safety issues if generated heat is not dissipated away effectively.