Cold Forged Heat Sinks

One-piece pin-fin cooling, engineered around your heat source, airflow and production requirements.

Pin-fin geometry — Open airflow paths for compact thermal designs.

Aluminum or copper — Choose the material around weight, heat spreading and cost.

OEM production — From tooling review to approved repeat supply.

Bring your thermal limits into the first design review.

Discuss Your Cold Forged Design

What Is a Cold Forged Heat Sink?

Cold forging forms the base and pins from one metal blank. A continuous metal path carries heat from the mounting face into an array of cooling pins.

One-piece construction — The pins grow from the base without a separate bonded fin joint.

Three-dimensional pin array — Air can move between pins from several directions, with spacing matched to the installation.

Finished to your assembly — Secondary machining creates the mounting face, holes and threads your equipment needs.

See how a forged structure can fit your assembly.

Review My Product Concept

A Compact Structure with Practical Advantages

Combine a direct conduction path with a pin layout that respects your enclosure, mounting position and airflow.

Continuous conduction

A monolithic base-to-pin structure removes the extra fin-to-base bond layer.

Airflow flexibility

Pin arrays support cooling when air direction changes across the equipment.

Compact integration

Base thickness, pin field and mounting features are developed around available space.

Repeatable supply

Approved tooling and inspection criteria keep recurring orders aligned with the drawing.

Turn these benefits into a geometry your equipment can use.

Explore My Design Options

Keep the Thermal Path Continuous

A solid connection between base and pins helps heat spread into the cooling surface. Interface quality and airflow still determine the temperature your device reaches.

At the device interface — Control contact area, flatness and the TIM layer to reduce avoidable interface resistance.

Through the base — Balance spreading thickness against mass, available height and the heat-source footprint.

Into the air — Leave enough pin spacing and surrounding clearance for air to carry heat away.

Integral Pin & Base Detail

Optimize the full thermal path, from device contact to outlet air.

Review My Thermal Path

Match the Pin Field to the Airflow

Pin density is a design variable. Open passages, usable surface area and fan pressure must work together.

Natural Convection Regime

Buoyancy-driven open channel geometry

Pin Field Top-Down Layout Coarse Spacing (Low ΔP)

Updraft

Chimney

Escape

Keep clear inlet and outlet paths: Preserve unrestricted entry from base level and ample headroom above pin tips.
Check the installed orientation: Align open thermal avenues with gravitational vertical escape routes for warm air.
Avoid boundary layer crowding: Wider pin spacing prevents adjacent thermal boundary layers from choking buoyant air flow.

Forced Airflow Regime

Pressure-driven, boundary layer renewal

Pin Field Top-Down Layout Directional Fan Array

Use the installed fan operating point: Design pin pitch directly against static pressure and real volumetric delivery curves.
Review bypass leakage and pressure drop: Shroud or calculate overhead gap leakage to prevent forced air bypassing the core matrix.
Confirm flow reaches the hot region: Ensure high-velocity air actively penetrates dense center pins rather than deflecting around outer pins.

Share the enclosure and fan arrangement for a focused airflow review.

Discuss Airflow & Pin Spacing

Choose the Metal Around the Job

Material selection balances conductivity, weight, formability and total part cost. Surface treatment follows the contact and environmental requirements.

Lightweight Pure Alloy

1050 / 1070 Aluminum

A light, formable option for pin-fin structures where mass, tooling feasibility and production cost matter. Offers excellent forging flow rates and solid thermal performance for weight-sensitive enclosures.

Conductivity ~210–230 W/m·K

Density ~2.70 g/cm³

Primary Benefit High Tooling Feasibility

Cost Balance Economical Unit Basis

Maximum Heat Spreading

C1100 Copper

Higher thermal conductivity supports heat spreading in compact designs where the added mass and cost are justified.

Conductivity ~385–395 W/m·K

Density ~8.96 g/cm³

Primary Benefit High Thermal Conductivity

Target Area Dense Compact Hot Spots

Controlled Surface Finishing & Environmental Protection

Natural finish

A clean metallic surface for straightforward integration. Degreased and deburred for immediate baseline thermal contact in clean enclosures.

Anodizing for aluminum

Color and film requirements are defined on the drawing. Provides surface durability, corrosion resistance, and increased radiative emissivity.

Nickel plating for copper

Specify coating thickness and contact requirements together. Nickel plating can limit copper oxidation; verify contact resistance and solderability for the selected coating and joining process.

Selective masking

Keep specified thermal contact faces, threads and grounding areas free of coating. Verify final flatness and electrical contact against the drawing and assembly requirements.

Compare material and finish choices before the tool is frozen.

Request a Material Review

A Clear Starting Envelope for Your Design

Start with our regular cold-forging range, then review the combined pin diameter, effective height and base geometry for your part.

Round Footprint

Ø30–180 mm

Rectangular Footprint

30–200 mm

Overall Height

10–60 mm

Pin Diameter

1.5–4 mm

Effective pin height	10–40 mm
Fine-pin geometry	1.5 mm pins: typically up to 20 mm effective height
Tooling review	Material flow, draft, pin filling and ejection
Final definition	Approved drawing and process review

Engineering note: The smallest pins and greatest heights are reviewed as a combination. Mounting features and secondary machining are included in the feasibility review.

Send your envelope and heat-source footprint for a practical DFM review.

Check My Geometry

Build the Mounting Interface into the Design

A heat sink only performs as intended when the device, thermal interface material and fasteners form a controlled assembly.

Mechanical & Precision Machining Datums

Contact face

Machine and inspect the device contact area against the approved datum scheme.

Hole and thread position

Locate mounting features from functional datums, with coating allowance included.

Pin clearance

Reserve space for drivers, fasteners, wiring and assembly tools.

Thermal Path & Assembly Loading

TIM thickness

Match the interface to flatness, surface texture and the real assembly gap.

Clamp load

Set screw torque or spring force around device and PCB load limits.

Finished condition

Verify dimensions after machining and surface treatment.

Typical finished contact-face targets: flatness ≤0.05 mm across 100 mm and Ra 0.8–1.6 μm for precision-machined interfaces, as defined in the approved drawing.

Resolve contact and mounting details before they become assembly issues.

Review My Mounting Interface

From Metal Blank to Production Part

Morton coordinates qualified forging partners with controlled machining, inspection and release, giving your team one accountable project contact.

STEP 01

01 · Feasibility & Tool Review

Confirm material, pin geometry, forming feasibility, ejection and drawing requirements.

STEP 02

02 · Material Verification

Check the specified alloy, incoming condition and batch identity.

STEP 03

03 · Cold Forging

Form the base and pins using approved tooling and a controlled partner process.

STEP 04

04 · Secondary Machining

Finish the contact face, holes, threads and functional datums.

STEP 05

05 · Finish & Inspection

Apply the specified surface treatment, verify critical dimensions and inspect the pin field.

STEP 06

06 · Approved Release

Release against the drawing, inspection plan and agreed packaging requirements.

Bring tooling, machining and inspection into one controlled plan.

Discuss My Manufacturing Plan

Where Cold Forged Cooling Fits

Cold forged pin-fin heat sinks suit products where a compact conduction path and accessible air passages support the cooling strategy.

COB LED light engine mounted on the flat face of a round aluminum pin-fin heat sink

COB LED Lighting

Spread heat from a compact light engine into a pin field while preserving airflow around the fixture.

Compact power module secured to the machined face of an aluminum pin-fin heat sink

Power Electronic Modules

Combine a finished device contact face with mounting features for compact power conversion assemblies.

Industrial Control Electronics

Fit the cooling geometry around enclosure vents, wiring and equipment installation constraints.

Telecom embedded circuit board cooled by an integral aluminum pin-fin heat sink

Telecom & Embedded Equipment

Support localized heat removal where packaging and changing airflow call for a tailored pin layout.

Explore application feasibility for your specific thermal and enclosure envelope.

Discuss Your Application

Validate Performance in the Real Conditions

A useful thermal result starts with defined heat input, inlet air temperature, installed airflow and measurement positions.

Defined heat source — Record footprint, location and effective heat load at the interface.

Installed airflow — Measure flow through the heat sink and record pressure drop for forced-air designs.

Controlled assembly — Document TIM, mounting load, orientation and surrounding clearances.

Traceable results — Report base hot-spot temperature, inlet temperature, steady state and measurement uncertainty.

Engineering Calculation Baseline Base-to-air method

Thermal Resistance Definition

Rθ = (Tbase,hot spot − Tair,in) / Qeffective

Rθ: Resistance [K/W]

Qeff: Effective Heat Load [W]

Tbase: Hot Spot Temp [°C]

Tair: Ambient Inflow [°C]

Measurement Uncertainty Reported for the test setup

Thermocouple Embedding Protocol Type T, 0.5 mm from interface

Steady State Stability Threshold < 0.1 K per 10-minute window

Reported Primary Unit K/W (Degrees C / Watt)

Report in K/W. Device junction temperature also includes the device internal path and the thermal interface temperature rise.

Get a test plan that reflects how your equipment actually operates.

Plan My Thermal Validation

Quality Evidence Your Team Can Review

Connect the approved drawing to the delivered batch with material, dimensional and inspection records.

CMM touch probe checking an accessible mounting datum on a cold forged pin-fin heat sink

Material identity

Alloy verification and batch records support traceability.

First-article inspection

Check drawing features, pin geometry and the finished mounting interface.

Controlled changes

Review tooling, material and process changes before implementation.

Delivery records

Provide CoC, inspection records and project-specific compliance documents.

Note: Morton manages quality under ISO 9001 and retains traceability records for five years. Documentation scope follows the approved part and project requirements.

Align the evidence package with your engineering and supplier quality reviews.

Discuss My Quality Requirements

Plan Tooling, Quantity and Repeat Supply Together

A realistic cold-forging quotation accounts for tooling, approved geometry, validation quantity and the production forecast.

Phase 01

Tooling & First Article

New tooling and first-article approval commonly take 4–8 weeks, depending on complexity and review milestones.

Phase 02

Economic Production Quantity

New-tool cold-forged parts typically start at 500–1,000 pieces; final economics depend on geometry, alloy and tooling.

Phase 03

Repeat Supply

Released tooling and drawings support scheduled batches, revision control and agreed protective packaging.

Required Quotation Inputs

2D drawing or 3D model, material, finish, heat load, available airflow, annual demand and target timing.

Transparent Cost Breakdown

Quotation separates tooling, part cost, machining, finish, inspection and packaging for complete procurement clarity.

Share the forecast early to make tooling and unit cost work together.

Request a Project Quotation

Cold Forged Heat Sinks: Your Questions Answered

Practical answers for engineering, purchasing and supplier quality teams evaluating a cold forged design.

Is cold forging suitable for every pin geometry?

No. Pin diameter, effective height, spacing, material flow and ejection must be reviewed together. Fine pins and tall pins cannot be combined without a forming feasibility check.

Does a pin-fin layout work in every orientation?

The pins allow air to approach from several directions, but natural convection still depends on gravity, installation orientation and the space around the heat sink.

Can you add holes, threads and a precision contact face?

Yes. Secondary machining can create mounting features and the device contact face. Final tolerances are defined on the approved drawing and checked after finishing.

How do aluminum and copper compare?

Aluminum helps reduce mass and can support economical forming. Copper offers higher conductivity for spreading heat, with greater mass and cost. The complete thermal design determines the better fit.

What should we provide for a thermal evaluation?

Send the heat load, source footprint, allowable temperatures, enclosure envelope, mounting orientation, airflow or fan information, and the planned TIM and clamp arrangement.

What information is needed for a quotation?

Provide a drawing or model, alloy, finish, forecast quantity, tooling status and delivery target. New tooling, sample approval and recurring production are quoted as distinct stages.

Have a drawing or an installation constraint to discuss?

Ask Our Engineering Team

Start Your Cold Forged Heat Sink Project

Tell us what your device needs to dissipate, how much space is available and how the air moves. Morton will help define a manufacturable path from concept to approved supply.

Thermal design — Heat-source, airflow and interface review.

Manufacturing fit — Pin geometry and tooling feasibility.

Material selection — Aluminum or copper for your priorities.

Controlled validation — Drawings, first articles and thermal test planning.

Production support — Traceable batches and coordinated delivery.

Request Engineering Review

Share your thermal & space constraints with our technical team.

Your project information stays confidential. Initial response within one working day.