A process and an apparatus for forming a rpofile element

A PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PROFILED ELEMENTS, PARTICULARLY SEMI-CONDUCTOR HEAT-SINKS, FROM EXTRUDED MEMBERS (10) FORMED OF METAL OR OTHER SUITABLE THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIALS. THE EXTRUDED MEMBER (10) COMPRISES A BASE MEMBER (12) AND A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RIBS (14). THE PROCESS INVOLVES USING A TRANSVERSELY ACTING PUNCHING MEANS (34) TO REMOVE SPACED APART LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING PORTIONS (18) FROM THE RIBS (14) TO PROVIDE A PROFILED ELEMENT (HEAT-SINK) HAVING A BASE MEMBER (12) TRANSVERSELY SPACED ROWS (20) OF RIB PORTIONS (FINS) (22). ADJACENT RIBS (22) OF RESPECTIVE ROWS (20) MAY BE IN TRANSVERSE ALIGNMENT. FIGURE 3