One Million Stamped Copper Heat Sinks for Set-Top Boxes

A set-top box OEM hit a thermal ceiling in a slimmer enclosure. Their extruded heat sink was being replaced with a stamped copper fin part, but the first supplier run arrived with plated surfaces scratched from bulk shipping and tolerances that drifted on the bend.

We blanked and formed the sink from #110 copper strip on a progressive die, then barrel-plated bright tin with protective media to keep the soft copper faces clean. Overall size 34.3 × 19.2 × 13.1 mm, thinnest section 0.6 mm.

Outcome

• 1,000,000 pieces delivered on a just-in-time pull, weekly windows
• Critical dimensions held to ±0.005 mm
• Scratch rejects at the customer's SMT line reported at zero after the media change
• Export shipments on record for EU assembly plants

Specifications

#110 copper (C1100) · 0.6 mm gauge · bright tin plating (outsourced, verified on incoming) · JIT schedule · MOQ 10,000 pieces