Case study
A conductive Makrolon® TC especially for LED heatsinks
One of the most disruptive technologies in the lighting market, LED technology has opened new design opportunities for almost every lighting application imaginable. And these designs typically require new materials, which is why we created a lighter-than-aluminum LED heatsink with Makrolon® TC.
Lighting designers and manufacturers are always on the lookout for new opportunities in a rapidly changing market. Our task was to ensure they had a heat-sink material available specifically for all the new possibilities LED lighting opens up for next-generation lighting applications and design.
While LEDs are significantly more efficient than incandescent bulbs, they still emit some heat. And the more effectively this heat is dissipated, the longer a given lamp will last. The challenge was to create an optimized material from which the lighting industry can create LED heat sinks.
We created a purpose-designed Makrolon® TC portfolio. The polycarbonate provides excellent thermal management at almost half the weight of aluminum. And because it´s injection molded, designers can create non-traditional shapes, use in-mold decoration and optimize joining techniques too.
Why Makrolon® TC was the right solution for LED heatsinks
- Thermally conductive: Creates an optimal channel for heat to pass through.
- Design-friendly: Gives designers the flexibility to create different shapes.
- Ease of use: Injection molding facilitates an efficient production process.
- Light weight: Offers weight savings of almost 50% compared to aluminum heat sinks.
