LEDs are cooled either by passive cooling or active cooling. Passive cooling involves a finned heat exchange system made of cast or extruded metal or a plastic coated metal heat sink that offers a totally silent, robust, heat transfer. Passive cooling is reliant on the surface area of the heat sink material and is orientation dependent. Active cooling may include conventional fans or diaphragm- based forced air cooling. Active cooling using a fan, although more efficient, is noisy, not so reliable, and requires electricity to run. Active cooling places emphasis on forced air flow rate and is not orientation dependent.