Attach most industry-standard heat sinks to hot components effectively

Advanced Thermal Solutions clipKIT heat sink attachment system is now available from Digi-Key. The system can be used with most industry standard, off the shelf straight fin, pin fin, cross cut or slant fin heat sinks. It improves on heat sink performance in thermal transfer, and vibration and shock resistance, says the company. The clipKIT system comprises a line of patented, reliable heat sink attachment assemblies featuring the widely used maxiGRIP and superGRIP frame clip and spring clip. They are available for 15 – 45mm component packages and are designed for heat sinks with a base thickness of 1.75mm to 4mm. Instead of relying on thermal tape or epoxy, which can damage the board or component during rework, the reliable clip attachment system provides a secure hold without the risk of damaging the PCB, saving time and cost. The ultra-thin plastic frame clip and stainless steel spring clip are corrosion-resistant, flame retardant and pass Telecordia shock and vibration standards, ensuring the heat sink will reliably stay in place. The clipKIT attachments eliminate the need to drill holes in a PCB, saving valuable real estate on the PC for high density routing. The thin frame clip occupies minimal space around a component’s perimeter, compared to push pin attachments or stand-off hardware which leaves little space on already overcrowded PCBs. The two-part attachment system provides a uniform force which enhances heat transfer and improves TIM performance by up to 20%, says the company. "Thermal management is critical for today's systems," said Dr. Kaveh Azar, CEO, Advanced Thermal Solutions. "We developed clipKIT to facilitate the attachment of custom and off the shelf heat sinks. We're launching them exclusively with Digi-Key because they are uniquely close to the engineering community and their challenges." “We are pleased to be the exclusive distributor of the ATS clipKIT assemblies,” said Tom Busher, VP, Global IP&E, Digi-Key. “We believe this new product line will meet and exceed our customers’ thermal management needs and we’re looking forward to offering more customized solutions from ATS in the future.”