The Benefits of Using a Thermal Gap Pad
Tolerances are often very wide when it comes electronic design. What is Thermal Gap Pad, A thermal gap pad allows you to work with those tolerances instead of fighting them. The pads are designed to deform over the various gaps in your assembly, providing a thermal path between components even though their surfaces might not make perfect contact. This allows components to dissipate the heat in a controlled manner so that they can perform at an optimal level.
As you may imagine, a number of factors influence the overall performance and reliability of your electrical assemblies. The ability of your board to dissipate the heat is important. The better the circuit board performs, the more heat it can dissipate. The gap filler is different from other insulators because it can deform to fit the different gaps.
Gap-fillers are a kind of thermal interface material. TIMs are required to be flexible and pliable in order to achieve effective thermal conductivity. This is due the fact that electronic mating surfaces are not always perfectly matched. The GR series gap-filler is made of a soft, gellike silicone with low modulus properties that allow it compress easily and conforms to the surfaces and mating components. This eliminates air gaps and rough surface texture.
The GR Series can be formed-in-place, or cut-to size. This means it can be directly placed on your circuit boards without the need for adhesives. This reduces labor cost and the risk of error, especially if working with materials like rigid gap fillers. The GR series can be formed in place and is easy to handle. This means you can work with them without causing stress to your tools or fingers.
The GR series has been designed to resist fatigue and stresses. It has a Shore D hardness of 40 and a graph that shows the compression vs. the deflection in its data sheet. This graph will show you how much stress it can withstand while still maintaining its best thermal performance.
The ability of a filler to resist fatigue or stress is essential, whether it's used in a home environment or an industrial one. You do not want the gap-filler to harden, creep or fail after installation.
The GR series is not reinforced, so it behaves more like a putty. Other gap fillers need to be reinforced in order to handle and die cut. It has a natural tacky on both sides that allows it to conform with the edges and eliminate interfacial resistance. It also has a very low moisture absorption rate, which helps to limit the amount of contaminants that will be introduced into your system.