In the last five years, the popularity of personal electronic devices has skyrocketed among consumers. People are flocking to retailers in droves to purchase the latest smartphones and tablet computers – like Apple’s iconic iPhone and iPad.
The technology used to make these devices continues to improve, making them faster, sleeker and more powerful. As a result, they generate considerably higher levels of heat than the products of old, which places a premium on more efficient thermal management technologies.
Earlier this year, Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA) released “Electronic Thermal Management: A Global Strategic Business Report,” stating that the global market for electronic thermal management will hit $8.6 billion by the year 2015. According to the GIA study, market growth came to a virtual standstill when the recession struck in 2008. However, as the economy recovers and the mobile electronics sector continues to manufacture miniaturized processors at such a rapid pace, thermal management is expected to enjoy a significant resurgence.
“In the wake of growing sophistication and functionality of a variety of electronics systems, thermal management has assumed an important role in the management of costs associated with product development and time required for market release,” said the GIA press release. “Hardware products such as heat sinks and thermoelectric coolers, and software for designing these products would be the key beneficiaries.”
Countless industries rely on innovative techniques for thermal management of electronics in order to deliver the best products and services to consumers. Without them, great ideas remain ideas and never become actual products.
The trend of smaller, lightweight devices that are increasingly more powerful could not happen without these innovations, which directly influence the design phase of the end product itself. Take that away, and modern smartphones would look very different than they do today.