The Impact of Using Different Technologies in Liquid Cold Plate Manufacturing

When you purchase a liquid cold plate or find a manufacturer to design a liquid cold plate cooling solution, there must be a price comparison. Have you encountered the same liquid cold plate technology, but the price difference among different liquid cold plates is huge? This difference is caused by the different technologies and materials which used to produce liquid cooling plates.

Understanding the different technologies and materials used to produce liquid cold plates can help you reduce costs and still get the performance you need for the proper cooling application. In this article, cold plate manufacturer Winshare will transmit the different technologies used in liquid cold plates to you.

The two most significant cost drivers for cold plate fabrication are thermal performance requirements and annual demand, which are usually out of the control of thermal and fabrication engineers. However, you can reduce costs by understanding how roughness, flatness, hardness, surface profile, mounting characteristics, and fluid connection specifications affect the cost of your cold plate. By involving your cold plate manufacturer early in the design process, you will be able to identify manufacturing cost drivers and select the most cost-effective design.

What are cold plates made of?

Most cold plates are made of aluminum, but some newer technologies use copper. Although copper has better thermal conductivity, aluminum is used more frequently because it is cheaper, lighter, and easier to use. Machining copper is challenging and expensive. If aluminum meets thermal performance specifications, it is usually the best choice.

Production techniques for aluminum cold plate

The two most popular aluminum cold plate techniques are tubular and vacuum brazing. Tubular cold plates are usually copper, or stainless steel tubes pressed into aluminum extrusions with grooves. They are cost-effective and provide good bulk heat for lowing to medium-watt densities. Vacuum-brazed cold plates consist of two metallurgically bonded together plates and inner fins. They are available in various sizes and offer extremely high performance, making them ideally for applications with concentrated heat loads. Both tubular and vacuum-brazed cold plate technologies limit labor time.

For this reason, U.S. cold plate manufacturers tend to compete with offshore manufacturers in medium volumes. The reduced labor costs of offshore sourcing are often offset by shipping and customs costs and the additional inventory associated with longer transit time. The threshold quantity for offshore savings is typically about 10,000 cold plates or more per year.

In addition to these factors, the most significant cost drivers for cold aluminum plates are processing time and additional steps. Cold plate manufacturers typically have processing time costs, including depreciation costs for machinery, power, supplies, and maintenance. Therefore, the longer the cold plate sits in the machine, the higher the cost. Each additional processing step continues to drive up costs.

Do you have a better understanding of the cold plate production process now? If you have any other questions about the cold plate or need a cooling solution for your cold plate, feel free to leave a comment or send an email to contact Winshare.