Custom Aluminum PCB & Double-Sided Aluminum Metal-Core PCB
When your board has to move heat, the metal core makes the difference. P&A International engineers, prototypes and delivers custom aluminum and metal-core PCBs — single-sided, double-sided aluminum (copper on both faces of the core with plated through-holes), thick-copper aluminum, copper-aluminum composite and copper-core — built exactly to your thermal conductivity, copper weight and isolation requirement.
As an engineering-led contract manufacturer founded as an engineering consultancy, we assign one dedicated engineer to your project from DFM and stack-up review to qualified samples in 10–15 working days, then scale into volume through our vetted partner-factory network, where every supplier is ISO 9000 certified or better.
consultancy + manufacture
per project, end-to-end
qualified samples with test data
every supplier certified or better
metal-core heat dissipation
Aluminum & metal-core PCBs we make
Double-sided aluminum substrate
Copper conductor layers on both faces of the aluminum core, joined by insulated plated through-holes through specialised dielectric processing — a rare double-sided metal-core capability.
Single-sided aluminum PCB
High-thermal-conductivity aluminum boards for LED, backlight, display and high-power driver applications.
Thick-copper aluminum PCB
2–5oz+ copper on an aluminum base for NEV power-control and high-current, high-dissipation boards.
Composite & copper-core
Copper-aluminum composite and copper-core boards reaching up to ~400 W/mK where aluminum alone is not enough.
Need rigid or flexible circuits too? We also build flexible PCBs and electronics assembly through the same engineering team and partner network.
Engineering capability
- Single- and double-sided aluminum metal-core design (copper both sides + plated through-holes)
- Metal-base selection — aluminum, copper-core and copper-aluminum composite
- Dielectric selection balancing thermal conductivity against isolation voltage
- Thick-copper construction (2–5oz+) for high current and heat spreading
- Thermal-pad, copper-coin and embedded-hole construction for hot-spot management
- Surface finishes — OSP, immersion gold / ENIG, lead-free HASL
- Multilayer metal-core (e.g. four-layer) routing
- DFM review and qualified samples with full test data before any volume tooling
At a glance
| Base | Aluminum / copper-core / copper-aluminum composite |
| Construction | Single- & double-sided; multilayer metal-core |
| Thermal conductivity | Dielectric ~1–3 W/mK; copper-core up to ~400 W/mK |
| Copper weight | 1oz to thick copper 5oz+ |
| Board thickness | ~1.0–2.3 mm to your spec |
| Surface finish | OSP / immersion gold / lead-free HASL |
| Prototype | 10–15 working days to qualified samples |
| Quality | Every supplier in our network is ISO 9000 certified or better |
Why engineers & buyers choose PA
For design engineers
A true design partner — one dedicated engineer, metal-base and dielectric selection, thermal-pad and copper-coin construction, and DFM that manages hot spots and isolation before tooling. We design the thermal stack-up to your power and envelope, not just a catalogue board.
For purchasing
Low-risk scalability — predictable 10–15-day prototypes, flexible MOQ from one-off to production, target-cost DFM, a single point of contact, and a vetted ISO 9000+ partner network managed end-to-end by P&A. No hand-offs, no surprises.
3 easy steps to get started
Send us your files
Send your Gerber/drawing, base type, thermal target and copper weight. One dedicated engineer reviews it and confirms the stack-up with you.
Proposed stack-up & quote
You receive a proposed stack-up and indicative pricing — typically within 48 hours — to review and refine together.
Samples & production
Qualified samples with full test data in 10–15 working days; on approval we scale into volume through our partner network.
Applications
High-power & automotive LED lighting · automotive displays & NEV power control · AI computing & data-center power boards · BMS battery protection · backlight & displays · COB lighting.
Explore related services: flexible PCB, electronics contract manufacturing, custom power supplies and wiring harness & cable assembly — all part of our electronics manufacturing services.
Choosing the right metal-core PCB
Getting the thermal stack-up right early avoids costly re-spins. A few decisions shape every metal-core build:
| Base material | Aluminum for the best cost, weight and good heat spread; copper-core or copper-aluminum composite for the highest thermal conductivity (up to ~400 W/mK) where aluminum is not enough. |
| Single vs double-sided | Single-sided for simple high-power LED/driver boards; double-sided (copper both sides of the core, with through-holes) for denser routing and components on both faces. |
| Dielectric | A higher-W/mK dielectric lowers thermal resistance — balanced against the isolation voltage and creepage your design needs. |
| Copper weight | Thick copper (2–5oz+) carries high current and spreads heat for NEV and power-control boards. |
| Surface finish | OSP for cost, immersion gold/ENIG for fine-pitch and shelf life, lead-free HASL for rugged high-power assembly. |
What to send us for a fast, accurate quote
The more of this you can share, the quicker we can return a proposed stack-up and price:
- Base type: aluminum, copper-core or copper-aluminum composite
- Single- or double-sided, and layer count if multilayer
- Target dielectric thermal conductivity (W/mK) and metal-base
- Copper weight per layer and board / metal-base thickness
- Surface finish and any thermal-pad / copper-coin / embedded-hole need
- Isolation voltage and any UL requirement
- Power dissipation (W), hot-spot target and operating environment
- Gerber / drawing, target cost, prototype quantity and annual volume
Working from a sample or a competitor part is fine — our engineer will reverse-engineer it or design a thermally-improved equivalent to your specification.
📄 Download the aluminum & metal-core PCB RFQ checklist (PDF)
Get a quote
Send your Gerber/drawing, base type and thermal target and one dedicated engineer will reply — typically within 48 hours — with a proposed stack-up and indicative pricing. No project too big or too small.
One dedicated engineer reviews every enquiry and replies with a proposed stack-up and indicative pricing. Your details are used only to respond to your enquiry. Prefer email? support@pa-international.com.au