Custom Tube Embedded Liquid Cold Plate
High-performance, flux-free thermal management for extreme heat flux applications.
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Types of liquid cold plate manufacturing processes
Other heat sink cooling solutions
Tube-Embedded Liquid Cold Plates
Tube Embedded Cold Plates (also known as Press-Fit cold plates) offer the best of both worlds: the superior thermal conductivity of Copper and the lightweight, low-cost properties of Aluminum.
The process involves machining grooves into an aluminum base plate and pressing continuous copper tubes into them under high pressure. This creates a robust mechanical bond. To further minimize thermal resistance, we often use a highly conductive thermal epoxy between the tube and the plate.
The Mechanics: Shallow vs. Deep Embedding
Depending on your thermal load and coolant pressure requirements, we utilize two distinct tube-embedding techniques:
Shallow-Embedded (Flush-Cut) Process: The metal tube is pressed into the groove and slightly flattened. The entire assembly then undergoes precision CNC fly-cutting. This shears the top of the tube perfectly flush with the aluminum base, creating a seamless, coplanar mounting surface.
Best for: Single-sided component mounting where direct thermal contact with the copper tube is required to minimize interfacial thermal resistance.
Deep-Embedded (Encapsulated) Process: The tube retains its original round geometry and full wall thickness. It is embedded deeper into the machined groove and completely encapsulated with aerospace-grade, high-thermal-conductivity epoxy.
Best for: Systems using high-pressure refrigerants, or applications where the tube’s structural integrity and wall thickness cannot be compromised by surface machining.
Why Choose Tube Embedded Cold Plates?
100% Leak-Proof Reliability :
The coolant flows through a continuous, joint-free copper tube. Since there are no welding seams or O-rings inside the plate, the risk of leakage is virtually eliminated.
Cost-Effective Performance :
By using an aluminum body with copper fluid paths, you get near-copper performance at a fraction of the cost of a full copper block. No expensive vacuum brazing tooling is required.
Design Flexibility :
Copper tubes can be bent into complex shapes (U-shape, Serpentine) to route coolant exactly where the heat spots are located on your PCB or IGBT.
Applications for Gun-Drilled Cold Plates
Semiconductor Fabrication Equipment
Heavy-Duty Power Electronics (IGBTs)
High-Power Industrial Lasers
Defense & Aerospace Radar Systems
Frequently Asked Questions about Gun-Drilled Cold Plate
We use a precision high-pressure press-fit process combined with conductive epoxy. This eliminates air gaps and ensures maximum heat transfer from the aluminum base to the copper tube.
Yes. After pressing the tubes, we perform a final CNC fly-cutting operation (or surface grinding) to ensure the copper tubes and aluminum plate are perfectly flush and flat (Flatness ≤ 0.05mm).
We support standard copper tube diameters such as 6mm, 8mm, 9.52mm (3/8″), and 12.7mm (1/2″), as well as custom sizes.