Advanced Thermal Solutions zipper fin heat sinks

Zipper fin heat sinks from Advanced Thermal Solutions (ATS) protect components from the dangers of excess heat.

Zipper fins are machined from thin sheet metal, typically aluminium or copper, and are formed into a shape. The sheets are designed to interlock with a very narrow space between sheet layers. The fin assembly is wave soldered to a metal base forming a rigid, lightweight heat sink. The heat sinks can also be designed in high aspect ratio fin profiles, enabling taller, thinner and more tightly packed fins for higher cooling performance.

The heat sinks can be designed with integral ducts that contain and optimise the airflow. This improves thermal performance, particularly with active sinks that receive airflows from fans and blowers. For some of these designs, the top surface of the heat sink can also be used as a heat spreader for hot components.

Because zipper fin heat sinks allow a combination of copper and aluminium materials, the copper base allows for optimal heat spreading while the aluminium fin profile ensures the heat sink will be lightweight. With the benefits of high performance and a light weight, the heat sinks are being used to cool LEDs, as well as hot components in telecom, datacom, military and embedded electronics industries.