The Application Challenge
One of the many markets Marian converts custom components for is the LED industry. For over a decade, customers have turned to LED lighting as an environmentally friendly solution with a longer service life than conventional lighting.
Keep reading to learn more about a customer that removed conventional bulbs from existing lighting structures and retrofit them with LEDs and see how Marian helped them come up with a custom die-cut solution to improve their assembly process.
When working to retrofit their existing lighting structures with LEDs, a customer ran into a heat management challenge. Their original lighting fixtures couldn't handle the heat produced by the new LEDs, which was ultimately reducing the LED lifespan and weakening the light's brilliance.
Along with keeping the fixtures from operating efficiently, this also created a safety risk for drivers and pedestrians that would need clear visibility of these lights. Their existing solution of hand applying thermal grease proved problematic, contaminating components and creating messy installation for handlers.
A LED traffic light is an example of an application this customer retrofits.
Marian's Custom Die-Cut Thermal Gap Pad Solution
Marian proposed Saint-Gobain Therm-A-Cool® TF407, a thermal interface material that could be die cut to a custom gap pad for their application. This cost-effective material conducts heat to the heat sink, and by die cutting this material, this would deliver a part with consistent thickness and eliminate the need for messy thermal grease. A thermal management gap pad solution ensures the integrity of all other components and would allow the LED solution to shine.
A representation of our thermal interface pad solution for the customer's LED light board.
Benefits of Using Marian Custom Converted Thermal Parts
- Expert advice from Marian engineers to narrow down a material proven to conduct heat well and offer a consistent, clean, and easy to handle finished part.
- A custom die-cut thermal interface pad provided more uniform coverage of the board's surface area, optimizing heat transfer.
- The customer saved money with a more affordable solution than thermal grease. They also reduced long-term expenses due to less required repairs for a longer-lasting assembly and less time spent applying the thermal grease.
- Finished parts were provided on rolls, allowing for easy and efficient assembly.
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Let Us Help You Understand Your Thermal Interface Material Options
Download our free eBook, How to Select the Right Thermal Interface Material. In this eBook, we'll walk you through the different types of thermal interface materials and discuss the pros and cons of each. If you'd rather go through this process with one of our Sales Engineers, contact us and we'll connect you with the team member in your area.
Marian, Inc. is an ISO 9001 certified converter of custom die-cut components made from flexible materials. We partner with leading material suppliers, and our global capacity is unmatched. This Marian application story, along with many others, uniquely demonstrates our state-of-the-art custom converting capabilities including die cutting, lamination, design for manufacturing, and more. Please contact us today to learn more or to request a quote, prototype, or material sample.
