This is a U Shaped Aluminum Heatsink Channel: a single-piece extruded or CNC-machined profile with a U-shaped cross-section, open on one side, with fins or flat walls for convective heat transfer. It
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This is a U Shaped Aluminum Heatsink Channel: a single-piece extruded or CNC-machined profile with a U-shaped cross-section, open on one side, with fins or flat walls for convective heat transfer. It
This is a U Shaped Aluminum Heatsink Channel: a single-piece extruded or CNC-machined profile with a U-shaped cross-section, open on one side, with fins or flat walls for convective heat transfer. It removes heat from LED arrays, power modules, and battery packs at a rate of 0.8–1.2 W/cm·K depending on alloy and fin geometry, and we hold wall thickness to ±0.01 mm with a runout of 0.02 mm across the full length. Typical lead time is 12 working days for custom profiles, 7 days for standard sizes, and surface finish is Ra 0.8 µm on all mating faces — ready for anodizing or direct assembly.
A flat heat sink dissipates heat in two directions, but a U channel concentrates the airflow in one controlled path. The open side faces the fan or duct, and the three closed sides act as a plenum, increasing local air velocity by 20–30% compared to a flat plate of the same footprint. This means you can reduce fan speed by 15% and still meet the same junction temperature, cutting noise and power draw. We machine the inner radius of the U to 1.5 mm minimum, so there are no stress risers that crack under thermal cycling from −40°C to +125°C.
We stock 6063-T5 for extruded U channels — it has a thermal conductivity of 201 W/m·K and takes a clean anodized finish. For machined channels from solid billet, we use 6061-T6 with 167 W/m·K but higher yield strength (276 MPa), which matters when the channel is also a structural bracket. If you need even higher conductivity, we can mill a groove and press in a copper heat pipe — that combo runs at 350 W/m·K effective. Hardness on 6061-T6 is 95 HRB, on 6063-T5 it is 73 HRB; both are soft enough to tap M3 threads without cracking, hard enough to resist denting during assembly.
Long thin walls warp during machining — that is the number one defect in U channels. We rough the profile first, stress-relieve in a furnace at 180°C for 4 hours, then finish-cut in a second setup. Our 5-axis Mazak machines use a vacuum fixture that pulls the channel flat against a ground steel plate, so the wall thickness stays within ±0.01 mm even at 500 mm length. The end faces are cut square to 0.02 mm runout, which is what you need if you are bolting two channels end-to-end for a longer assembly. We check every part on a CMM with a 0.5 µm resolution probe.
You are not locked into a standard profile. We can machine straight fins (2.0 mm thick, 8 mm pitch) for low-pressure drop, serrated fins (1.5 mm thick, 5 mm pitch) for turbulent flow and 15% better heat transfer, or we can skive fins from solid — that gives you 0.5 mm thick fins with 1.2 mm pitch, which is the highest density we do. For the U channel itself, we offer an asymmetric U (one wall taller than the other) to match your enclosure height. All fin edges get a 0.2 mm chamfer, so they do not cut wires or fingers during handling.
Our standard surface finish is Ra 0.8 µm on all functional faces, achieved with a fine fly-cutter pass. For thermal performance, we recommend a 25 µm black anodize (Type II or Type III) — the black surface increases emissivity from 0.05 (bare aluminum) to 0.85, which helps radiation cooling by 70% in still-air enclosures. Anodize is also electrically insulating (50 V/µm breakdown), so you can mount PCBs directly to the channel without an insulating pad. If you skip anodize, we still degrease and passivate, so the part ships clean and corrosion-resistant for indoor use.
We do not sample — we inspect every 100th piece in full, and every single piece gets a dimensional check on the critical wall thickness. The CMM reports are uploaded to a shared folder within 24 hours of machining, so your QA team sees the actual numbers, not a certificate. Hardness is verified with a Leeb tester on every batch of 20 pieces. Surface finish is measured with a profilometer on the mating face of the first and last piece of the run. If any value is out of spec, the entire batch is rejected, not reworked.
We have run real thermal tests on our U channels using a 50 mm x 50 mm heat source at 60 W. A 100 mm long, 40 mm high channel with 8 fins gives 0.48 °C/W in natural convection and 0.12 °C/W at 3 m/s forced air. That means a 60 W LED junction stays under 85°C in a 40°C ambient with a small fan. We will send you the full test curve (temperature vs. power) with your prototype, so you can simulate your exact load without guessing.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Materials | 6063-T5, 6061-T6, 5052-H32 (custom on request) |
| Available lengths | 50 mm – 600 mm (longer on request) |
| Wall thickness tolerance | ±0.01 mm (machined), ±0.05 mm (extruded) |
| Runout (end-to-end) | 0.02 mm over 500 mm length |
| Surface finish (Ra) | 0.8 µm standard, 0.4 µm optional |
| Hardness | 73 HRB (6063-T5), 95 HRB (6061-T6) |
| Fin thickness | 0.5 mm – 3.0 mm (skive/machined) |
| Thermal conductivity | 167 – 201 W/m·K |
| Anodize thickness | 10 – 25 µm, black or clear |
| Lead time | 7 days (standard), 12 days (custom profile) |
| MOQ | No MOQ — 1 piece prototype accepted |
No MOQ — we machine 1 piece for your prototype at the same per-unit price as 100 pieces, because our setup time is fixed and our CNC machines are already running.
Yes, we take your 2D or 3D file (STEP, IGES, DWG) and either machine it directly from solid billet (no die cost) or suggest an extrusion die if your volume is over 500 pieces — die cost is $800–$1,200, amortized over your first order.
We stress-relieve after roughing, hold the part in a vacuum fixture for finishing, and inspect every 100th piece on a CMM plus every piece for wall thickness — the report is shared with you within 24 hours.
Custom cross-section: 12 working days including material, machining, and inspection. Standard profile from stock: 7 working days. Overnight shipping is available for urgent prototypes at cost.
Send your drawing to sc@bquq.com or WhatsApp +86 13713157787. We reply with a firm quote within 12 hours — fixed price, no hidden tooling, no surprise shipping. If you are still choosing between materials or fin shapes, our CNC cutting tool selection guide will help you understand surface finish limits, and our CNC machining tolerances guide explains exactly what ±0.01 mm means on a real part. BQUQ is a precision manufacturing company made in China with 20 years of CNC, stamping, and heat sink experience — your U Shaped Aluminum Heatsink Channel is ready to quote today.
| Parameter | Capability |
|---|---|
| Materials | AL6063/6061/5052, pure copper C1100, copper-aluminum composite |
| Process | Extrusion, CNC machining, skiving, forging, die casting, stamping fins |
| Fin Types | Extruded, pin fin, skived, folded, bonded, heat pipe, vapor chamber |
| Surface | Black anodizing, clear anodizing, nickel plating, powder coating |
| Size Range | Max 1500 x 400 x 300 mm |
| Thermal Test | Thermal resistance and heat dissipation data per batch |
| Prototype | 5-7 days, no MOQ on samples |
| Inspection | CMM, thermal resistance tester, full report per batch |
