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Wide industrial bonded aluminum fin heat sink assembly
CASE STUDY · INDUSTRIAL POWER ELECTRONICS · GERMANY

Bonded Fin Heat Sink for Industrial Inverters

How morton cooled six power modules within a 400 × 600 × 100 mm envelope—holding the hottest baseplate point to approximately 80°C at a 1.5 kW thermal load.

1.5 kW
Total thermal load
80°C
Hottest baseplate point
300 units
First production delivery
Working with a similar multi-module thermal challenge?
DISCUSS YOUR INVERTER PROJECT

One Inverter. Six Heat Sources. A Fixed Envelope

A German industrial drive OEM needed a cooling assembly that matched its six-module layout, cabinet airflow and production requirements.

Application
Industrial inverter and variable-frequency drive platform.
Heat-source layout
Six 80 × 80 mm sources, each dissipating 250 W.
Mechanical boundary
400 × 600 × 100 mm cooling assembly envelope.
Operating air
35°C inlet air with 600 m³/h actual airflow through the assembly.
Share your heat-source map and enclosure boundaries.
REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION
Industrial inverter cabinet showing electronics and ducted fin cooling tunnel
Cooling had to work inside the cabinet's installed air path.

The Task: Stay Below 85°C Without Growing the Assembly

The design had to balance heat spreading, air-side performance and connection reliability within the customer's existing packaging limits.

Distribute 1.5 kW

Six separated heat sources required a baseplate that spread heat into the available fin area.

Use the available airflow

Fin spacing and the shroud had to match the installed 600 m³/h flow rather than a fan's free-air rating.

Hold the bond over cycling

The fin-to-base connection needed controlled adhesive thickness and mechanical verification after temperature cycling.

Resolve thermal, airflow and bonding constraints together.

TALK TO A THERMAL ENGINEER
Custom bonded fin aluminum heat sink assembly showing precision machined aluminum baseplate with straight individual sheet fins in grooved joints

The Solution: A Bonded Fin Assembly Built Around the Heat Map

A machined 6061 aluminum baseplate and individually bonded aluminum fins created a large cooling surface while preserving the six-module mounting layout.

1

6061 aluminum baseplate

Machined mounting interfaces support consistent contact across the six power modules.

2

Separate aluminum fins

A bonded fin construction provides a large air-side surface within the specified height.

3

0.1–0.2 mm adhesive layer

Controlled thermal adhesive thickness limits variation at the fin-to-base interface.

4

Coordinated spacing and shroud

Module placement and ducting guide air through the active fin field.

Bring your module layout to the cooling design.

REQUEST A BONDED FIN REVIEW

Engineering Parameters That Define the Result

The thermal result belongs to this geometry, heat-source arrangement and airflow condition. These parameters form the basis for a meaningful design comparison.

Thermal Transfer Chain
Power modules 6 × 250 W
Thermal interface TIM joint
6061 baseplate Heat spreading
Bonded fins 0.1–0.2 mm epoxy
Ducted airflow 600 m³/h
Direct sequential thermal dissipation from module contacts to the forced air path.
Parameter Specification Value
Assembly envelope 400 × 600 × 100 mm
Baseplate / fins 6061 aluminum / aluminum sheet fins
Heat-source arrangement 6 × 80 × 80 mm sources
Applied thermal load 6 × 250 W = 1,500 W
Inlet air temperature 35°C
Actual assembly airflow 600 m³/h
Adhesive layer thickness 0.1–0.2 mm
Baseplate hotspot requirement Below 85°C
Compare designs using the same operating conditions.
CHECK YOUR DESIGN PARAMETERS

The Result: 80°C at the Hottest Baseplate Point

With all six sources operating at 250 W, the cooling assembly kept the maximum baseplate temperature approximately 5 K below the specified 85°C limit.

≈80°C
Maximum baseplate temperature
5 K
Margin to the specified limit
0.030 K/W
Equivalent hotspot-to-inlet thermal resistance
1,500 W
Total applied heat load
Thermal Margin & Operating Limits Reference Inlet Air: 35°C
Measured baseplate hotspot ≈80°C
Specified baseplate limit 85°C
0°C 25°C 50°C 75°C 100°C
Rθ = (80 − 35) / 1,500 = 0.030 K/W
Calculated using the hottest baseplate point and the total six-source load.
Set a measurable temperature target for your platform.
DISCUSS YOUR THERMAL TARGET
Extended duct large fin heat sink validation test rig
Extended-duct testing was paired with customer system verification.

Validation Under the Conditions That Matter

The large assembly was evaluated in an extended air duct and alongside the customer's complete-system tests, preserving the defined six-source layout and operating airflow.

Load the complete heat map Six 80 × 80 mm sources were operated simultaneously at 250 W each.
Define the intake condition The reference inlet air temperature was 35°C.
Confirm installed airflow 600 m³/h described the actual assembly airflow, with the duct and shroud in place.
Measure the baseplate hotspot Temperature was assessed at the baseplate; the reported value is not semiconductor junction temperature.
Total Heat Load
1,500 W
6 × 250 W active sources
Inlet Temperature
35°C
Controlled intake condition
Installed Airflow
600 m³/h
Duct and shroud in place
Hotspot Evaluation
Baseplate Probe
Direct contact thermometry

Make your validation conditions part of the specification.

PLAN A THERMAL VALIDATION

A Bonded Joint Needs More Than a Temperature Result

Adhesive control and post-cycle connection checks addressed the reliability of the fin-to-base interface before production release.

01

Control the bondline

The thermal adhesive layer was held within 0.1–0.2 mm to support repeatable fin-to-base contact.

Controlled 0.1–0.2 mm bondline
02

Cycle the assembly

Samples completed 100 temperature cycles between −20°C and 80°C.

100 temperature cycles (−20°C ↔ +80°C)
03

Check the connection

Post-cycle visual inspection and sampled fin pull-off checks passed the defined project criteria.

Mechanical pull-off & visual pass

Define connection reliability before freezing the drawing.

REVIEW YOUR BONDING REQUIREMENTS

From 30 Pilot Units to a 300-Unit Production Delivery

The design moved from pilot validation into the first production batch with the adhesive process and connection requirements carried into manufacturing.

30 units

Pilot build

Confirm assembly, manufacturing sequence and project acceptance requirements.

300 units

First production delivery

Transfer the approved bonded-fin design into repeatable batch manufacture.

Controlled process

Ongoing supply

Carry material, adhesive and inspection requirements into the production documentation.

Engineering Documentation & Quality Records

Drawing and heat-source layout

Geometry, mounting interfaces and six-source arrangement.

Thermal validation conditions

Load, inlet temperature, actual airflow and measurement basis.

Bonding and cycling requirements

Adhesive layer control, cycling and connection inspection.

Manufacturing traceability

Material batches, work orders and first-article inspection records.

A large-area cooling assembly matched to the customer's heat map, with practical weight and machining-cost control.

Build a clear path from your prototype to production.

DISCUSS YOUR PRODUCTION PLAN
Thermal Engineering Laboratory

Bring Us Your Inverter's Thermal Challenge

Share the heat load, source layout and available airflow. Our engineering team can review a bonded fin cooling approach that fits your enclosure and manufacturing needs.

Application-led review

Start with the heat sources, enclosure and installed air path.

Thermal and mechanical alignment

Consider the baseplate, fin field, bonding and mounting together.

Prototype support

Evaluate the assembly before committing to production.

Defined validation conditions

Connect performance targets to a repeatable test setup.

Manufacturing continuity

Carry approved requirements into batch supply.

Request an Engineering Review

Your information stays confidential. We provide an initial response within one business day.