Awind's model AD-011 heat sink for microprocessors has a copper base, aluminum fins and three heat pipes.

Suppliers upgrade their selections dominated by traditional passive varieties. The latter still lead output for its price advantage.

China manufacturers of heat sinks continue to tap a variety of cooling devices to ensure releases meet the thermal challenge in terminal applications with increasingly dense circuitry. They emphasize units with vapor chambers, which have greater heat transfer compared with conventional passive types and those with copper bases and heat pipes or fans. Such active variants feature thermal conductivity surpassing 5,000W/mK and heat flux capacity of 350W/sqcm. They are used in high-performance servers, telecom products, graphics cards and elevated-power LED lighting.

Makers such as Awind Corp. and Dongguan City Shuhua Hardware Products Co. Ltd offer active-cooling models to ride steadily rising demand.

At the same time, they keep traditional configurations in their lineups. These heat sinks are expected to stay in the mainstream locally in coming years for their low prices. To boost competitiveness in this subcategory, suppliers sustain product improvements. They look to use more copper, stressing the metal’s advantage of 398W/mK thermal conductivity or almost twice that of 6063 aluminum alloy commonly employed.

Companies turn out models made entirely of the former, but due to the high price, they are introducing more hybrid variants instead. The second kind comes with copper bases and aluminum fins. Awind has a model with three heat pipes for Intel processors.

Besides strong markets in computers and industrial machinery, China manufacturers target the broadening LED lighting sector. The telecom, medical equipment, automotive, and energy and power fields are the other application bases.

The bulk of BTai Industrial Co. Ltd’s output is used in LED lighting, while it is 50 percent for Dongguan City Shuhua. The latter allocates the rest of turnout for the PC segment. At Awind, 80 percent of the selection is for the last and industrial equipment.

Suppliers project sales will climb 10 percent annually, spurring some to expand operations. Awind anticipates 20 to 30 percent higher revenue by year-end. The company has moved to a new factory to double its production capacity. Dongguan City Shuhua plans to acquire two 100-ton stamping machines in the months ahead.

The US, the EU and the Asia- Pacific region remain the key export destinations, with products also sent to South America and Africa.

Mainland China accounts for more than 60 percent of global shipments for the line. Its pool exceeds 500 manufacturers, the majority of which are homegrown enterprises. Most are in the Pearl River and the Yangtze River Delta regions. Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces are the main hubs, responsible for over 60 percent of the mainland’s aggregate yield. Taiwan companies Neng Tyi, AVC, CCI and Forcecon are also based there.

Various types

Makers offer units in aluminum and its alloy, copper, steel, and combination of the first and third. Aluminum alloy releases lead with a share surpassing 70 percent of overall production.

There are extruded, stamped, bonded, folded, cast, forged, skived and machined versions. The first four types account for 80 percent of local output.

BTai’s models are made by extrusion, while stamped kinds dominate Dongguan City Shuhua’s range. Awind turns out mostly extruded and bonded varieties.

The options for surface treatment include anodizing, pol ishing, powder coating, electroplating and sandblasting. The majority of local heat sinks adopt the first.

Suppliers accommodate buyers’ specifications on materials, processing techniques, dimensions and weight.

Metal is sourced from domestic providers.

Prices remain stable as input costs stay unchanged.

Aluminum will be between $1,700 and $1,900 per ton in coming months, according to Goldman Sachs.

Copper is expected to go for $6,600 per ton.

Product gallery

Awind Corp.
(Mainland China)

Model: AD-011
MOQ: 100 units
Delivery: 20 days
Description: PWM; copper base, aluminium fins, three heat pipes; 0.24 C/W thermal resistance; pre-applied Shin-Etsu 7762 thermal grease; 90x90x64.3mm; 375g; for Intel Xeon 5600/5500 Series, Core i7 processors with LGA 1366 or 1356 socket

BTai Industrial Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: Heatsink/BT-Heatsink-002
MOQ: 500 units
Delivery: 30 days
Description: 6063 aluminum alloy; sandblasted, clear anodized finish; RoHS

Dongguan City Shuhua Hardware Products Co. Ltd
(Mainland China)

Model: SH-471
MOQ: 100 units
Delivery: 12 days
Description: 1050 aluminum alloy; electroless nickel plating; 0.5x140x140x200mm; 1.5kg; in silver, other colors; for 7 to 80W bulkhead lamps; custom orders accepted

Sunyon Industry Co. Ltd Dongguan
(Mainland China)

Model: HS-180
Description: Nickel-plated zippered aluminum fins, four copper heat pipes; for 30W LED streetlights