Liquid cold plates welded by FSW
The purpose of liquid cold plates is to cool electronic devices. In order to manufacture them (low batches), milled parts are used, which will be welded by friction stir welding.
Thermal management
Chill plates are required for customized solutions for small batches in a wide variety of industries:
Challenges in thermal management
Downsizing & Mass reduction
Better integration of components, an increase in heat flux density (W/m²) and the use of weightless materials (such as aluminium) must be achieved.
Thermomechanical constraints
Chill plate without deformations: mistake-free plate.
Reduce pressure drop
A direct impact on the energy efficiency of the systems: pump energy consumption.
Coolant quality, safety and storage
High compatibility between materials and coolant is essential.
Liquid cold plates welded by Friction Stir Welding
The liquid cold plates are composed of a housing and a cover, to close the water channel. That is why it needs to be sealed, for which Friction stir welding is an ideal technique.
Chill plate housing
Liquid cold plate cover
Chill plate housing and cover
Liquid cold platewelded by FSW
Lower cost
Replacement of EBW (Electron Beam Welding) or vacuum brazing.
Higher resistance
Up to 300 bar
Perfectly waterproof
No porosity, no sticking
Excellent thermal conductivity
Metallurgical junction
Extremely user friendly
Compared with EBW or vacuum brazing
FSW is the most economical technique in terms of operational cost (machine investment and cover supply). Thanks to the FSW Stirweld head, the investment cost of the welding machine is greatly reduced. In addition, in the case of FSW welding, the cover used is non-accurate. This means that it will be manufactured by laser-cutting, significantly reducing the cost compared to machined covers (used when EB welding).
The cost of quality control must also be taken into account. In the case of friction stir welding, this is minimal because:
No risk of sticking
Solid state welding process: no porosity
No risk in service
Cold plate assembly comparison
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