What drives aluminum heat sink price per kg in 2026: billet cost, extrusion, CNC, finishing and tooling amortisation, with typical China FOB ranges.
Aluminum Heat Sink Price per kg: 2026 Cost Breakdown
Direct answer: Chinese aluminum heat sink supply is quoted as FOB USD per kg, and typical 2026 ranges are USD 11-19/kg for 100-500 pcs, USD 8-13/kg for 1,000-5,000 pcs and USD 6-10/kg above 10,000 pcs, for 6063-T5 extruded profiles with CNC machining and anodising. The spread is driven by section complexity, tolerance class, finish and how the extrusion die is amortised, not by the aluminium itself.
Why per-kg pricing is only a starting point
Aluminium is a commodity: LME primary aluminium has traded in a wide band through 2025-2026, and Chinese billet carries a domestic premium on top. But billet is rarely more than a third of the delivered part price. The rest is process. Two heat sinks can weigh the same and differ by 2.5x in price because one has a 1.2 mm fin at 3 mm pitch with a machined base and the other is a plain 40 mm wide profile cut to length.
So treat a per-kg figure as a sanity check, not a quote. It is useful for budgeting at RFQ stage; it is not a substitute for a drawing-based price.
Cost structure of an extruded and machined heat sink
| Cost element | Share of part price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium billet (6063 / 6061) | 25-40% | LME plus domestic premium, scrap ratio, whether you accept recycled billet |
| Extrusion (die running cost) | 10-18% | Press tonnage required, section complexity, metres per run |
| CNC machining | 15-30% | Number of setups, flatness callout, hole count, whether you mill the base |
| Surface finish | 5-15% | Clear vs black anodising, thickness class, masking, laser marking |
| Tooling amortisation | 0-15% | Die cost divided by order quantity, or charged separately |
| Inspection, packing, freight to port | 5-10% | CMM report, individual bagging, pallet spec, FOB vs DDP |
Typical ranges by quantity band
These are reference bands for a 6063-T5 extruded heat sink, roughly 80-200 mm wide, with a machined mounting face and clear anodising. They exist to let you sanity-check a quotation. Your actual price depends on the drawing and must be confirmed in writing.
| Order quantity | Indicative FOB USD/kg | What dominates the price |
|---|---|---|
| 1-100 pcs | 15-25 | Setup, programming, die amortisation over a tiny batch |
| 100-500 pcs | 11-19 | Partial die amortisation, manual handling |
| 1,000-5,000 pcs | 8-13 | Efficient extrusion runs, fixtured machining |
| 10,000-50,000 pcs | 6-10 | Billet and press time; machining may move to a dedicated cell |
| Above 50,000 pcs | 5-8 | Material contract pricing, high-speed stamping or die casting may beat extrusion |
As a rule of thumb, every doubling of order quantity reduces the per-kg price by 8-14% until you hit the material floor, after which further volume gains come from process change rather than negotiation.
The six variables that actually move your price
- Fin geometry. Fins below 1.0 mm thickness or pitch below 2.5 mm raise the die cost and slow the press. That is a step change in price, not a percentage.
- Base flatness and thickness. A 0.05 mm flatness callout on a 200 mm base usually means machining after extrusion and possibly a stress-relief step. That is the single most common cause of a quote coming in above expectation.
- Machined features. Every additional setup adds handling and re-fixturing. A heat sink with tapped holes on two faces costs more than one with tapped holes on one face, even at identical hole count.
- Anodising class. Clear anodising at 10 micron is standard. Black, hard anodising or a 25 micron class costs more and adds lead time; masking areas you do not want anodised adds more.
- Order pattern. One 20,000 pc order prices better than four 5,000 pc releases a quarter apart, because the press run and the die amortisation both improve.
- Incoterm. FOB Shenzhen and DDP Hamburg differ by freight, insurance, duty and customs handling. Compare quotes on the same term.
How to estimate before you ask for a quote
A rough working formula for budgeting:
Estimated price = (part weight in kg x billet index) + (profile perimeter in mm x extrusion factor) + machining allowance + finish allowance + (die cost / order quantity)
In practice, most buyers get within 20% by taking the finished weight, multiplying by a per-kg band from the table above, and then adding the die cost divided by quantity if the supplier has not already amortised it. If your estimate and the quotation differ by more than 30%, ask which of the six variables above is driving it. A supplier who cannot answer that has not costed the part properly.
Where buyers lose money
- Comparing per-kg prices across different scopes. One quote includes anodising and CMM reports, the other is bare extruded bar cut to length. The kg price is meaningless without scope.
- Ignoring die ownership. If the supplier owns the die, moving the part later costs you a new die. Clarify ownership and transfer terms in the PO.
- Optimising weight instead of thermal resistance. Removing 10% of fin area to save material often costs more in thermal performance than it saves in aluminium.
- Quoting one year and buying in another. Aluminium moves. Ask for a validity window and a stated index basis.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to buy heat sink by weight or by piece?
Suppliers price by piece and derive the per-kg figure for comparison. Contract on a piece price with a stated material index adjustment, not on a floating per-kg rate, or you carry the aluminium risk without the hedging.
Why is a small order so expensive per kg?
Because the die, the press setup and the CNC programming are fixed costs. On 50 pieces, a USD 1,500 die alone adds USD 30 per piece. That is not supplier margin, it is amortisation.
Can I supply my own aluminium?
Some factories accept customer-supplied billet, but most will not, because they cannot warranty the alloy or the extrusion quality. Where it is accepted, expect a conversion-only price and a clear statement of who owns the scrap.
Does a higher price mean better thermal performance?
No. Price tracks manufacturing difficulty. Thermal performance tracks geometry, material conductivity and interface quality. A well-designed USD 8/kg extrusion routinely beats a poorly designed USD 20/kg skived part.
Send a STEP file and a quantity band and we will return a piece price with the cost elements separated, so you can see exactly where the money goes.
Heat sink sourcing guides
- Custom Heat Sink MOQ and Lead Time by Process
- Heat Sink Extrusion Die Cost and Tooling Amortisation
- Heat Sink RFQ: What to Send for an Accurate Quote
- Heat Sink Tolerance and Flatness: What to Specify
- Heat Sink Surface Finish Options and Cost Impact
- Heat Sink RoHS, REACH and UL Compliance Explained
- Heat Sink Volume Pricing: How Breakpoints Really Work
- Heat Sink Prototype and Sample Service: What to Expect
- Heat Sink Packaging, Shipping and DDP Terms
- Heat Sink Supplier Audit and Second Sourcing
- Heat Sink Thermal Test Report: What the Data Package Contains
