This month, we’re focusing on important design considerations for some of the most common thermal management solutions. Here are four crucial design considerations for an aluminum extrusion design services company.
Aluminum extrusion companies must balance material costs with structural strength. Manufacturers can vary wall thickness to address these concerns for certain extrusions. But a profile with uniform wall thickness is easier to extrude and is more likely to hold the correct dimensions throughout the extrusion and cooling process. Avoid adjacent wall thickness ratios of 2:1 or greater to keep the extrusion design stable. When two walls of different thicknesses intersect, use rounded corners instead of sharp angles.
Weight per foot has a significant effect on cost efficiency of the profile. Weight and weight per foot determine the equipment necessary to extrude a profile, which determines overall production costs. Production costs and capabilities vary with each extruded aluminum heatsink manufacturer, so be sure to discuss weight per foot with each aluminum extrusion design services company you work with.
Sharp corners and tips are especially difficult to produce through extrusion, so aluminum extrusion design should incorporate rounded corners with a radius of at least .5 mm. Use hollow mouldings in extrusions with sharp internal angles to soften the design.
Deep channels can compromise the stability of extruded profiles. As a general rule, keep the width-to-height ratio around 1:3 to keep the profile stable. Alternately, increase the radii at the opening of the channel and use a full radius at the bottom to create a stable profile with a 1:4 width-to-height ratio.
Getec Industrial is one of the top custom extruded aluminum manufacturers in North America, providing extruded aluminum heat sink manufacturing and turnkey manufacturing for heatsink services. For more information about our custom aluminum extrusion company, contact us online or call us at 888-999-8499.
