Glue!

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm building a small amplifier (using TDA1517) and I want to glue in the board into the case once it is tested to eliminate drilling and extra hardware costs.

I will also glue the heatsink to the board and case for mechanical stability and heat transfer.

Should I use epoxy or hot melt or ???

Thanks
 
You have no extra screws laying around? 🙂

One thing with epoxying the PCB into the case; if you ever want to change something, removing it will be more of a pain than if it's just held in place with screws and standoffs.
 
I've used Dow Corning SE 4450 as a thermal adhesive, but thermal performance will still be worse than a decent conventional thermal paste, and it will be more expensive to boot. If you're looking to avoid drilling to keep the case pretty, you could epoxy some standoffs on the case, and then you have can still remove the board without destroying it.
 
LOL! Yes, hotmelting the heatsink isn't a smart idea. Of course, I over heatsink everything and it never gets too warm. I have been making battery chip amps since the eighties and with good layout, I have never had to go back in. I just want to lay down some glue and squish the board right into it to keep it secure. IC tab will be screwed to a copper "U" shaped heatsink that is epoxied to the board. No more drilling holes except for the connectors!
 
Clear silicone is what you want:

077027001129


Strong but slightly flexible, long lasting. Easier to apply than epoxy.
Make sure it is "silicone" you are buying - many people thing that anything in a tube is silicone.
 
Silicone would not be for using between the chip and the heatsink - would be for gluing circuit board into cabinet, etc.

Use heatsink compound between the chip + sink, and you could use silicone to hold it in place still. Just around the chip, not directly between chip and sink...

If you want to be able to remove the board you could just use blobs of silicone at the corners - as Conrad says, you could make it very hard to remove the board (if you use lots of glue).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.