Can a Warped Heatsink be Straightened for PCB Mounting?

AI Thread Summary
A heatsink is warped by about 2mm in the middle, raising concerns about potential PCB cracking during mounting. The warping is attributed to mass fabrication limitations, such as improper cooling or uneven heating. The user is exploring options to straighten the heatsink but finds machining too costly, especially for the fins. Suggestions for secondary operations to rectify the warpage are sought from experienced engineers. Addressing the warpage is crucial to ensure the longevity and reliability of the PCB mounting.
Seth.T
Messages
25
Reaction score
2
Hi,

I need advise on a heatsink warpage(see attached), the heatsink is deflected in the middle about 2mm off, i need to mount pcb on it and might cause cracking over time, I was wondering if any experienced engineers have a good approach to straighten it?



Thanks
Seth
 

Attachments

  • 1000series_thumb.gif
    1000series_thumb.gif
    1 KB · Views: 567
Engineering news on Phys.org
Seth.T said:
Hi,

I need advise on a heatsink warpage(see attached), the heatsink is deflected in the middle about 2mm off, i need to mount pcb on it and might cause cracking over time, I was wondering if any experienced engineers have a good approach to straighten it?



Thanks
Seth

Welcome to the PF. Can you just buy a new one? How did it get warped?
 
Hi Berkeman,
I am buying from OEM , due to certain mass fabrication process limitation(improper cooling or uneven heating from them), a little warping is inevitable. Is there anyway i can add a secondary operation to straighten it out? i thought of machining it to be flat however the fins would be extremely difficult and not worth the cost.
 
Thread 'Physics of Stretch: What pressure does a band apply on a cylinder?'
Scenario 1 (figure 1) A continuous loop of elastic material is stretched around two metal bars. The top bar is attached to a load cell that reads force. The lower bar can be moved downwards to stretch the elastic material. The lower bar is moved downwards until the two bars are 1190mm apart, stretching the elastic material. The bars are 5mm thick, so the total internal loop length is 1200mm (1190mm + 5mm + 5mm). At this level of stretch, the load cell reads 45N tensile force. Key numbers...
I'm trying to decide what size and type of galvanized steel I need for 2 cantilever extensions. The cantilever is 5 ft. The space between the two cantilever arms is a 17 ft Gap the center 7 ft of the 17 ft Gap we'll need to Bear approximately 17,000 lb spread evenly from the front of the cantilever to the back of the cantilever over 5 ft. I will put support beams across these cantilever arms to support the load evenly
Back
Top