thermal management specialist cambridge nanotherm is expanding its manufacturing capability to produce what it describes as the led industry’s most thermally-efficient metal-clad printed circuit boards. the decision follows growing customer demand, according to chief operating officer andy matthews who says the company is now working with many of the world’s top 10 led manufacturers.
a light-emitting diode (led) is a two-lead semiconductor light source and has changed the face of lighting technology globally.
based in haverhill, in the hinterland of the cambridge uk technology cluster, cambridge nanotherm says it has built significant additional capability and capacity into its mcpcb manufacturing base to meet rising demand for its thermal management solutions.
the company has established partnerships with a wide network of pcb and thin-film manufacturers to offer a broad range of options in terms of circuitisation, quality, volume and standards.
its manufacturing capabilities include everything from fast turnaround prototyping, high-definition thin-film circuitisation, speciality manufacturing, through to high-volume mass production. key industry and regulatory standards can be applied.
from led chip packaging to high-brightness modules, thermal management is becoming a limiting factor as customers demand ever brighter led devices in ever smaller footprints.
to meet these requirements led manufactures are being pushed into using more thermally effective substrates to ensure that leds stay cool enough to meet their advertised lifespan.
historically that has meant switching from cost effective mcpcbs to expensive and difficult-to-work-with ceramics such as alumina and aluminium nitride. cambridge nanotherm says it offers an alternative.
sitting at the heart of high-power led applications, nanotherm lc and nanotherm dm technologies are enabling a new generation of products that rely on effective thermal management to operate successfully. cambridge nanotherm’s proprietary lc and dm technologies are available exclusively via this manufacturing process.
andy matthews said: “our mcpcbs offer designers a distinct thermal advantage. demand for our solutions has therefore been strong and we’re currently engaged with most of the top 10 led manufacturers.
“as a result, we’ve expanded our manufacturing routes to cater to a much broader variety of requirements. we’re working with some of the best pcb and thin-film circuitisation companies so we can offer an exceptional range of options to ensure we keep our customers satisfied. we will continue to develop our manufacturing capabilities to make sure we always offer the best available options to our customers.”
nanotherm’s patented eco process involves converting the surface of the aluminium core of the mcpcb, which acts as a heat spreader, into an electrically insulating but thermally conductive nanoceramic that is said to offer outstanding thermal performance.
cambridge nanotherm was set up in 2010 by an experienced team of managers with a strong track record for commercialising innovative ip, and is backed by enso ventures.
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