Custom Liquid Cold Plate
From rapid prototyping to high-volume production, we transform complex thermal challenges into high-performance cooling realities.
A custom liquid cold plate is engineered to your specific thermal requirements, ensuring peak performance for high-power density systems. By evaluating critical factors such as heat flux, pressure drop, and fluid compatibility, we develop cooling solutions that maximize heat transfer and maintain stable operating temperatures even under extreme loads.
With our extensive manufacturing expertise, we provide end-to-end customization for liquid cold plates. We collaborate closely with our clients to navigate complex design challenges， whether it involves intricate vacuum brazing or FSW to deliver a product that integrates perfectly with your hardware. Whether your application is in data center servers, EV battery packs, or high-performance power electronics, we have the technical depth to provide reliable and high-precision cooling solutions.
Getzshape Custom Liquid Cold Plate Manufacturing
Processes for Liquid Cold Plate
Manufacturing processes are the bridge between design and reality, directly impacting performance, consistency, and cost. A variety of manufacturing processes are suitable for producing a liquid cold plate. Currently, the mainstream methods are CNC machining and brazing.
CNC Machining
Computer Numerical Control machining. This involves using high-precision cutting tools to carve the heat sink from a solid billet. It is typically reserved for high-precision prototypes or extremely complex geometries where tooling for other methods is not feasible.
Brazing
The substrate and the cover plate are stacked with a filler metal in between an alloy sheet or coating with a lower melting point than the base materials. The assembly is then heated in a vacuum or protective atmosphere furnace until the filler melts, filling the gaps via capillary action to create a metallurgical bond. This process allows for the creation of highly complex internal channels, offers good thermal performance, and is ideally suited for large-scale production.
Friction Stir Welding (FSW)
A high-speed rotating stir pin is inserted into the joint between the plates to be welded, generating frictional heat that softens the material. Through the mechanical action of the stir pin, a solid-state bond is achieved. This process produces high-strength welds with minimal defects and deformation, avoiding common fusion welding issues such as porosity or cracking. No filler material is required.
3D Printing
Metal powders are used to print integrated cold plates with complex internal channels layer by layer using techniques such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). This approach offers unparalleled design freedom, enabling the creation of biomimetic or irregular flow channels that are impossible to manufacture with traditional methods, thereby pushing the boundaries of thermal performance.
Liquid Cold Plate Materials
A cold plate is a high-performance thermal component for demanding cooling requirements. Typically fabricated from aluminum alloy for its lightweight and cost-effective thermal properties, it often incorporates integrated copper tubes to use copper’s superior thermal conductivity.
Liquid Cold Plate Substrate Material
Aluminum’s exceptional extrudability enables the fabrication of complex, high-aspect-ratio fin profiles that maximize surface area while maintaining lightweight properties. Its high thermal conductivity, combined with excellent corrosion resistance, ensures long-term reliability even under rigorous thermal cycling. Available high-performance grades include 6061 and 6063.
- Material: Aluminum 6061, 6063
- Thermal Conductivity: 150~250 W/m·K
- Density: 2.7 g/cm3
Copper Tube Material
Liquid cold plates use copper C1020 or C1100 for tubes due to their good thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and malleability, which allows easy bending without losing structural integrity.
- Materials: Copper C1020，C1100
- Thermal Conductivity: 380~420 W/m·K
- Density: 8.96 g/cm3
Anodizing
Conductive Anodizing
Nickel Plating
Liquid Cold Plate Specifications
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Items
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Features
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Dimension |
Typical Thickness: 15–25 mm
Custom Size: Length range 50–1500mm; Width range 50–800mm |
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Materials |
Substrate: AL 6061 / AL 6063; Copper Tube: C1220 |
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Thermal Properties |
Thermal Resistance (R): 0.03–0.06°C/W (@ Flow rate 4 L/min, Inlet water 25°C)
Rated Heat Dissipation: typically 500–2000W, depends on design Surface Temperature Uniformity: < 2°C |
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Operating Flow Rate |
2–10 L/min (Typical) |
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Recommended Coolants |
Deionized water or ethylene glycol water solution (≤50%) |
A liquid cool plate is the core heat exchange component of a liquid cooling system, consisting of a copper or aluminum substrate with internal microchannels. It works by circulating a coolant such as water or an ethylene glycol solution through these channels to absorb heat from chips like CPUs or GPUs—supporting up to 1000W per single chip—and then transferring that heat to the external environment via a coolant distribution unit. By directly contacting the heat source, the cold plate achieves a thermal resistance as low as 0.02–0.05°C/W.
What is Liquid Cold Plate？
The liquid cold plate leverages the high specific heat capacity of coolants and the efficiency of forced convection to rapidly transfer heat from high-power components.
How Does Liquid Cold Plate？
- Thermal Conduction: Heat from the source passes through a Thermal Interface Material (TIM) into the metal substrate and quickly reaches the internal channel walls.
- Forced Convection: Driven by a pump, coolant flows through the internal channels. Micro-structures (like fins or pin-fins) increase the heat transfer surface area and induce turbulence, breaking the boundary layer to accelerate heat exchange.
- Heat Rejection: The heated fluid exits to an external radiator or CDU to release heat into the environment, then cycles back to the inlet for continuous cooling.
We believe that in mission-critical thermal management, there is no room for “good enough.” To ensure every cold plate we deliver meets the industry’s gold standard, we have built a quality system to meet the rigorous requirements of IATF 16949 and ISO 9001.