Hotspots effectively cooled

Liquid heat sinks are always used when passive or fan-supported cooling solutions reach their limits and reliable cooling must be guaranteed. However, there are also major differences between liquid heat sinks. The optimal manufacturing process for the respective application depends on various factors such as the desired material and coolant, the required cooling performance and the required number of heat sinks. CTX therefore offers various processes for the production of liquid heat sinks.

There are also major differences in the top class of heat sinks: material, manufacturing process and coolant are crucial for the success of the heat dissipation. Building on more than 25 years of know-how, CTX always develops and manufactures the optimal result for the respective application. The company can draw on a variety of manufacturing processes, coolants and materials. Depending on the application, water, glycol, oil, alcohol or - in exceptional cases - gases flow as coolants through pipes made of copper, aluminum or stainless steel inside an aluminum or copper plate.

Different manufacturing processes for different requirements

The classic liquid cooling plate consists of an aluminum cooling plate with embedded pipes made of the easy-to-work, excellent heat conductor copper. Pipes made of stainless steel or aluminum are also possible, but they conduct heat less well. The optimal manufacturing process for the respective application depends on various factors such as the desired material and coolant, the required cooling capacity and the required number of heat sinks. CTX offers efficient and application-specific liquid cooling systems, which are manufactured differently depending on the application.

• Liquid cooling plates made of die-cast aluminum: This process is suitable for the cost-effective production of large quantities of cooling systems, e.g. for electromobility. Using the die-casting tool, several cooling plates with difficult heat sink geometries can be produced in one printing process.
• High-temperature brazed liquid cooling plates: High-end applications or complex geometries require special solutions: This is where so-called brazed heat sinks are used. The top and bottom plates are connected to one another by high-temperature brazing and the cooling channels are milled into the plates.
• Friction stir welded liquid heat sinks: Friction stir welding is suitable for the production of liquid heat sinks for individual and prototype construction, but also for series production. One advantage is that the heat sinks do not require separate pipes, as the cooling channels are milled into the aluminum cooling plate.
• Cold extruded liquid heat sinks: For IGBTs and other high-performance electronic components, cold extrusion is the ideal process, as it ensures loss-free heat conduction between fins, cooling tubes and plates. There are hardly any design limits to the shape of the pins and fins.
• Extruded liquid heat sinks: If large series of liquid heat sinks are required, the extrusion process is the ideal option. In this process, the aluminum heat sinks are manufactured in a step-by-step extrusion, which means that the inner cooling channel remains stable.

Perfect service

In addition to the development and production of application-specific heat sinks, CTX also offers customers tailor-made service packages. This includes the thermal simulation of a potential heat sink as well as the creation of the required CAD data and 3D models as well as advice on heat sink design and production optimization. The thermal management experts can also take over the complete logistical processing of heat sink and housing deliveries upon request.