A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Performance of Pin Fin and Wavy-Fin Heat Sinks Fabricated Through FDM for Low-Profile Laptop Cooling Applications

  • Unique Paper ID: 204796
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 1
  • PageNo: 3819-3828
  • Abstract:
  • The increasing miniaturization and power density of modern laptops have created a growing demand for compact, lightweight, and efficient thermal management systems. Conventional metallic heat sinks offer high thermal conductivity but often increase weight, manufacturing cost, and design constraints within limited laptop chassis space. Additive manufacturing techniques, particularly Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), have emerged as cost-effective alternatives for producing customized polymer-based heat sinks with complex geometries. This review paper examines recent studies on pin-fin and wavy-fin heat sinks fabricated using FDM technology for laptop and low-power electronic cooling applications. The review focuses on thermal performance enhancement, fin geometry optimization, convection characteristics, perforation effects, and material properties influencing heat dissipation. Previous investigations indicate that fin geometry plays a critical role in reducing thermal resistance, improving airflow interaction, and enhancing temperature uniformity. Wavy-fin configurations improve convective heat transfer by disturbing the thermal boundary layer, while pin-fin structures promote multidirectional airflow and uniform heat distribution. The paper also reviews the effects of printing parameters, material selection, and experimental techniques on thermal performance. Existing research primarily emphasizes metallic heat sinks and forced-convection systems, whereas limited work addresses PLA-based FDM heat sinks operating under natural or low-velocity convection conditions. Research gaps related to thermal optimization and comparative experimental analysis are identified. The study highlights the potential of FDM-fabricated heat sinks as sustainable, lightweight, and low-cost thermal management solutions for modern portable computers.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{204796,
        author = {Rohan Suresh Bhalerao and B.R. Ingale},
        title = {A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Performance of Pin Fin and Wavy-Fin Heat Sinks Fabricated Through FDM for Low-Profile Laptop Cooling Applications},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {1},
        pages = {3819-3828},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=204796},
        abstract = {The increasing miniaturization and power density of modern laptops have created a growing demand for compact, lightweight, and efficient thermal management systems. Conventional metallic heat sinks offer high thermal conductivity but often increase weight, manufacturing cost, and design constraints within limited laptop chassis space. Additive manufacturing techniques, particularly Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), have emerged as cost-effective alternatives for producing customized polymer-based heat sinks with complex geometries. This review paper examines recent studies on pin-fin and wavy-fin heat sinks fabricated using FDM technology for laptop and low-power electronic cooling applications. The review focuses on thermal performance enhancement, fin geometry optimization, convection characteristics, perforation effects, and material properties influencing heat dissipation. Previous investigations indicate that fin geometry plays a critical role in reducing thermal resistance, improving airflow interaction, and enhancing temperature uniformity. Wavy-fin configurations improve convective heat transfer by disturbing the thermal boundary layer, while pin-fin structures promote multidirectional airflow and uniform heat distribution. The paper also reviews the effects of printing parameters, material selection, and experimental techniques on thermal performance. Existing research primarily emphasizes metallic heat sinks and forced-convection systems, whereas limited work addresses PLA-based FDM heat sinks operating under natural or low-velocity convection conditions. Research gaps related to thermal optimization and comparative experimental analysis are identified. The study highlights the potential of FDM-fabricated heat sinks as sustainable, lightweight, and low-cost thermal management solutions for modern portable computers.},
        keywords = {Additive Manufacturing, FDM Heat Sink, Laptop Cooling, Low-Profile Electronics, Pin Fin, PLA, Thermal Performance, Wavy Fin.},
        month = {June},
        }

Cite This Article

Bhalerao, R. S., & Ingale, B. (2026). A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Performance of Pin Fin and Wavy-Fin Heat Sinks Fabricated Through FDM for Low-Profile Laptop Cooling Applications. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 13(1), 3819–3828.

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