1. Aluminum extrusion design and the
role it plays in high performance
cooling solutions

2.  This webinar will be available afterwards at
www.designworldonline.com & email
 Q&A at the end of the presentation
 Hashtag for this webinar: #DWwebinar
Before We Start

3. Moderator Presenters
Paul Heney
Design World
Mike Tozier
Sapa Extrusions
Americas
Alex Chen, PhD
Sapa Extrusions
Americas
Angel Rosario
Sapa Extrusions
Americas

4. ALUMINUM EXTRUSION DESIGN
AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN HIGH
PERFORMANCE COOLING
SOLUTIONS
ANGEL ROSARIO, ALEX CHEN, MIKE TOZIER
4

5. OUTLINE
5
Introduction of Sapa Group
Aluminum Extrusion Design
Thermal Design Considerations
High Performance Cooling Solutions

6. SAPA GROUP
6
Sapa is the world leader in aluminum solutions – a new company that joined the aluminum
extrusion businesses of Sapa and Hydro. Together, we are shaping a lighter future through
a global reach and local presence within extrusions, building systems, and precision tubing.
We have 23,000 employees in more than 40 countries, and our headquarters are located in
Oslo, Norway.

7. SAPA EXTRUSIONS AMERICAS
7
Sapa Extrusions North America offers design, manufacturing, fabrication and finishing of
aluminum extrusions through 25 facilities located across North America.

8. PROFILE DESIGN
8
What is the goal?
Design the optimal profile that fulfills the demands of the application at
the lowest possible cost.
To design the optimal profile, we must understand factors in production
that increase costs.

9. TOOLING COST FACTORS
Die Breakage
Alloy
Profile type and circle size
Non-fill condition
Thin walls or sharp corners
Thick to Thin Ratio (variable bearings)
Tolerance requirements
9

10. PRODUCT DESIGN COST FACTORS
Type of Profile
Solid
Semi-Hollow
Hollow
Alloy / Temper
6063 vs. 6061
Wall Thickness
Thin? Thin to Thick?
Tolerances
Standard AA vs. Tighter
Cut Length
Long Lengths vs. Short Lengths
Surface Finish
Anodize? Paint?
10

11. PROFILE CLASSIFICATIONS
Solid
Low production cost
Low die cost
Semi-Hollow
Tooling could break sooner
Higher material and die cost
Hollow
Higher Material and Tooling Cost
Multi-Void hollows have the highest cost
11

12. CIRCLE SIZE DIAMETER
12

13. PROFILE CIRCLE SIZE
Not all presses with the same container
size are alike.
For example, Sapa has a number of 10”
presses, but profiles that fit one 10” press
may not fit another 10” press at a different
location.
Circle size is one of the factors for
determining the appropriate size press a
given profile.
Sapa is able to extrude profiles with
circle sizes up to 22” in North America.
13

14. MINIMUM WALL THICKNESS
Recommended minimum wall
thickness for 6063 Alloy are shown in
the guidelines. (Add 15% for 6061
Alloy)
Sapa also offers specialty extrusions
up to 5” diameter circle size with wall
thickness as thin as 0.015” and as
light as 0.007 pounds per foot.
4”
5”
6”
7”
8”
9”
10”
11”
3”
2”
0.052”
14
Guidelines

15. GEOMETRY CONSIDERATIONS
15
Symmetry
Uniform wall thickness
Large radii
Tongue ratio reduction
Incorporating useful features
ID Mark, drill points, screw slots, location/registration stops

16. GEOMETRY OPTIMIZATION
16
Convert hollows to solid profile

17. HEAT SINK RATIO
17
Fin height to gap ratio is typically limited to 16:1.

18. DAMAGED DIE
18

19. ALUMINUM USED IN COOLING SOLUTIONS
19
Aluminum heat sinks and liquid coolers have been widely used as
cooling components in power electronics, LED lighting, computers,
telecom devices, healthcare, automotive, etc.

20. ALUMINUM EXTRUSIONS
20
Recyclable & Non-toxic
Lightweight
Strong
Corrosion resistant
Thermally conductive
Reflective
Electrically conductive
Non-magnetic
Non-sparking
Material Advantages
Attractive
Finish Options
Virtually Seamless
Complex integral shapes
Easily assembled
Weldable
Machinable
Cost-effective
Short lead times
Process Advantages

21. THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
21
Copper (pure):
395 W/mK

22. EXTRUSION ALLOY VS. DIE-CAST ALLOY
22

23. PROFILE DESIGN
23

24. PROFILE DESIGN
24

25. PROFILE DESIGN
25

26. PROFILE DESIGN
26

27. PROFILE DESIGN
27

28. PROFILE DESIGN
28

29. SURFACE FINISHING
29
Surface Treatment Emissivity
As extruded 0.10
Clear anodize 0.78
Black anodize 0.85
White paint 0.90
Black paint 0.97

30. SIMULATION
30

31. SIMULATION
31
Critical items needed for design support:
Max junction temp (Tj) or thermal resistivity requirements
Ambient temperature and boundary conditions
Heat sink orientation relative to gravity
Heat load definition and placement (Watts)
CAD assembly detailing heat sink and mating components with
material definitions (SolidWorks or .stp file)
Re-design space limitations / requirements

32. FRICTION STIR WELDING
32
Friction Stir Welding is a solid-state joining method, which has been used
in the welding of aluminum since 1991.

33. METHOD
33

34. WELD STRUCTURE
34
Fully re-crystallized fine grain micro-structure is created in the nugget by
the intense plastic deformation at elevated temperature.

35. ADVANTAGES OF FRICTION STIR WELDING
35
No filler metal (parent metal conductivity)
High tensile, fatigue, and bend properties
Void free and leak proof
Low thermal distortion and shrinkage
Energy efficient
Suitable for automation
Cost Effective

36. FSW MODULAR HEAT SINK*
36
*PATENT PENDING

37. FSW HEAT SINK VS. BONDED FIN HEAT SINK
37
FSW Bonded

38. METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION
38

39. THERMAL TESTING SETUP
39

40. THERMAL RESISTANCE
40
The thermal resistance of FSW modular heat sink is 8% lower than
bonded fin design.
*THE DEFINITION OF THERMAL RESISTANCE:

41. EXTRUDED FSW LIQUID COOLER*
41
*PATENTED BY SAPA

42. METHOD
42
The liquid cooler is sealed by friction stir welding the lids to the extruded
body.

43. METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATION
43

44. PRESSURE TEST
44
The liquid cooler can withstand burst pressure up to 90 bar.

45. THERMAL TEST SETUP
45
Double-sided mounting with 1500 Watt per side

46. THERMAL RESISTANCE
46

47. PRESSURE DROP
47

48. SUMMARY
48
Thermal
Performance
- Alloy selection
- Fin design/spacing
- Heat sink
orientation
- Surface treatment
- CFD Analysis
Extrusion Design
- Weight reduction
- Profile
functionality
- Space limitations
- Best practice
manufacturing
Efficient cost
effective
solution

49. CONTACT
49
Alex Chen, PhD
Sr. Application Engineer
Sapa Extrusions Americas
Alex.Chen@sapagroup.com
801-450-7221
Angel Rosario
Sr. Application Engineer
Sapa Extrusions Americas
Angel.Rosario@sapagroup.com
847-349-7244
Mike Tozier
Technology Development Mgr.
Sapa Extrusions Americas
Mike.Tozier@sapagroup.com
503-802-3462

50. Questions?
Paul Heney
Design World
pheney@wtwhmedia.com
Phone: 440-234-4531
Twitter: @DW_Editor
Mike Tozier
Sapa Extrusions Americas
Mike.Tozier@sapagroup.com
Phone: 503-802-3462
Alex Chen, PhD
Sapa Extrusions Americas
Alex.Chen@sapagroup.com
Phone: 801-450-7221
Angel Rosario
Sapa Extrusions Americas
Angel.Rosario@sapagroup.com
Phone: 847-349-7244

51. Thank You
 This webinar will be available at
designworldonline.com & email
 Tweet with hashtag #DWwebinar
 Connect with Design World
 Discuss this on EngineeringExchange.com