The lifetime of aluminium electrolytic capacitors highly depends on their
core temperature. Heat dissipation in general applications happens by the
extended cathode, which is in contact with the inner side of the can. In the
case of heat sink applications, the most important heat transfer
phenomenon is the heat conduction through the bottom of the aluminium
can. The quantity of the dissipated heat is in direct proportion to the size of
the heat transfer surface. The more dissipated heat may increase the
lifetime of the capacitor. Therefore, the flatness value of the can bottom is
critical. This paper presents a flatness measurement method, which can
successfully replace the equipment for a more complex and more
expensive 3D measurement. It discusses an implementation of a
measurement environment, where data acquisition and visualization are
automated by a LabVIEW-based software. In addition, this study deals
briefly with the influence of production processes on the flatness value of
the capacitor produced by leading manufacturers
