Bridgelux gen 2 heat sinking in europe.

[Darkomatized]

Greetings! I got here 66x BL led strips that needs mounting. I'm having them running on 0.76A per strip. But Daaaaym I underestimated the U-profile prices in finland. 66x 25mm width aluminum U-profile is 1000 bucks god damit. So anyone who has done BL parallel builds in Europe and figured out something cheaper that protects lil bit from thermal complications?

[Professor Xavier]

Unkle_Psycho has been engineering his way through thermal complications in Scandinavia with BL strips on this forum:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1325
I'll confirm he's quite clever after speaking to him and I'm you two can collaborate some great solutions. There's been quite a few EU members contributing to this forum of late so I'm positive many would like to hear what you come up with.

[unkle_psycho]

Yeah the prices in the shops are outrageous. I contacted about 15 alibaba sellers, and none wanted to send with china mail, so I started testing them with no heatsinks at all.

Later I was given some aluminium railing someone had left over, and used it to make the light.

I havn't figured what I want as a permanent structure, so I decided to make a temporary light from cardboard. I attached strips of foil to the strips, and it does an absolutely brilliant job. I'm about to do some more temporary building.

One option, which I think would be your best bet, is getting thin aluminium sheet. I saw some that were very expensive, but others that were very cheap. It could be used sliced or whole.

You also need to order thermal tape, at least I couldn't find anything besides processor specific cuts for ridiculous prices.

[unkle_psycho]

What length are your strips? and how many watts per foot do you plan to feed them?

[unkle_psycho]

Here is an example of a local product I was tempted by. They usual alu channels cost around 20-30e /m for even 1mm thick channel, but this is some stuff they are dumping. I imagine these could be used with 280mm and 560mm sizes... I do have a friend up north, who's brother has an aluminium factory, but I havn't made it up there, to see what they have.

https://kauppa.al-men.fi/category/35/loytolaari

[H0m3B0Y]

I honestly don't understand why prices in Finland would be that high, but I believe you.

I looked around internet a bit and found this: https://www.elfadistrelec.fi/fi/alumiin ... cache=true
This doesn't sound like it's going to cost you 1000EUR even if you order 66m?

Maybe try another internet store that will ship to finland?

If it's any help, I can get alu profiles for about 10EUR/kg. You can get about 3m of aluminum u profile (20x20x20, 2mm thick) into 1 kg. If you really can't source it cheaper locally (or internet...ly), I can buy it here and ship it to you. You only pay for material and shipping.

[unkle_psycho]

This seems to be the general price range, the price does not include VAT, so an extra 22% gets added to that. The bulk price 7.5e becomes 9.15e x 66 = 603.9e

That would be for aluminium that is slightly too narrow, and possibly 200mm too short. adding another 20% length would bump the price to over 700e.

I suggest the money would be better spent tripling your strips, and running them without heatsinks.

Welcome to our socialist paradise.

But if you live in a city near government offices, you can pick up furniture (and likely all types of railings) in the gigantic dumpsters that they throw out on a whim. Almost every startup I saw in the last years furnished their offices from the stuff and all got compliments on the modern shiny looks.

[unkle_psycho]

You are also welcome to join me in the cardboard build thread

[Tickles the ɯılʞɯɐu]

Have you tried looking for 'T' or 'L' bar aluminium?
Maybe that will be cheaper for you.

I got mine from ebay and also sourced some locally.

The T bar on ebay is sold 1m length, 25mm width x 3mm thickness. So 3 2 ft strips per length.
So that would be 20 lengths, cost around £200 ($260) but only if ebay has a supplier to deliver to you.

I was put off buying heatsink due to price for my 2x2 Bridgelux light using 6 x 2ft strips.
The kill-a-watt shows 154w when i run them at full power on the Meanwell 120H 24A, so felt that heatsink not needed.
Can touch the strips/diodes when on no problem, not an uncomfortable heat from touch.

Im tempted to use 'T' bar on my next build of either the 480w build or 2 x 320w builds.

[unkle_psycho]

Last christmas I was having trouble getting alibaba suppliers to send with china post, I sent a few emails again today, to see if its still the case.

I guess online in europe is an option, germany should have lots of options.

I used tin foil in my current build, and it defiantly works better then the aluminum railing I used for my first build. At first I thought I would have to run them soft, but I tried them pretty hard, like 75w to 6feet of strip, and they ran totally cool.