Method of fabricating a heat sink

A method for fabricating a straight fin heat sink of the type comprising a base and a plurality of fins extending from the base, each fin of the plurality of fins being spaced from one another a predetermined distance and lying along a plane parallel to planes of the other fins of the plurality of fins, the method comprising:

• providing a die configured to produce a heat sink having a base and a plurality of fins attached to the base in a radial fashion about the base from at least one side of the base;
• extruding a blank of material through the die to produce the heat sink;
• and
• compressing the plurality of fins with a compression tool so that the plurality of fins extend from the base along planes parallel to each other,
• wherein compressing the plurality of fins with a compression tool includes
• providing a compression tool having a plurality of slots that extend from a first end of the compression tool to a second, opposite end of the compression tool, the plurality of slots at the first end of the compression tool being configured to receive the plurality of fins of the heat sink therein, and
• sliding the plurality of fins of the heat sink through the slots of the compression tool.