Custom Friction Stir Welded Liquid Cold Plate
High-performance, flux-free thermal management for extreme heat flux applications.
Free Custom Design
Free Thermal Analysis
Best Price Guaranteed
24 Hours Feedback
FSW (Friction Stir Welding) Liquid Cold Plates
When you need to cool massive surface areas—like EV battery packs or industrial energy storage systems (ESS)—traditional brazing becomes size-prohibitive and structurally weak. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process that creates a highly reliable, leak-proof cold plate with exceptional structural integrity, optimized specifically for large-format aluminum designs.
A high-speed rotating tool plunges into the joint between the extruded aluminum base and the cover plate. The friction generates intense heat, softening the metal into a plastic state. The tool then mechanically stirs and forges the two pieces together through molecular diffusion. Once cooled, the joint recrystallizes into a seamless, unified structure.
What is FSW Technology?
Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process. Unlike traditional welding that melts the metal, FSW uses a rotating tool to generate friction heat, softening the aluminum material into a “plastic-like” state and forging the base and cover together.
The Result: A seamless, monolithic cold plate with forged-quality strength. It eliminates the risks of porosity and cracks common in fusion welding, making it the industry standard for EV battery packs and large-scale power electronics.
How We Manufacture FSW Cold Plates:
We route our clients to FSW custom cold plates when their designs demand the following:
Zero Porosity & Absolute Leak Prevention: Because the aluminum never reaches its melting point, there is zero risk of gas bubbles, thermal cracking, or shrinkage in the weld seam. This guarantees a leak-proof fluid loop.
Parent-Metal Strength: The FSW joint retains nearly the exact mechanical strength and thermal conductivity of the original aluminum alloy, allowing the cold plate to withstand severe vibrations and mechanical loads.
Large-Format Scalability: FSW is not constrained by vacuum furnace sizes. It is the industry standard for manufacturing oversized cooling plates (often exceeding 1-2 meters) efficiently and cost-effectively.
Why Choose FSW Over Other Technologies?
Zero Leakage Risk: Since the metal never melts, there are no air pockets or shrinkage cracks. The joint is as strong as the base material.
Large Format Capability: FSW is perfect for large-area cooling solutions (e.g., >1000mm length) like New Energy Vehicle (NEV) battery trays, where vacuum brazing furnaces are size-limited.
Flux-Free & Clean : No soldering flux is used, meaning no chemical residues inside the channels that could clog the system or corrode the pump.
Cost-Effective for Aluminum : It is the most efficient way to join aluminum alloys (6061/6063) without expensive vacuum furnaces.
Applications for FSW Cold Plate
AI Servers & Data Centers (HPC)
Precision Medical Equipment
High-Power Optical & UV LED Cooling
IGBT & Power Electronics
Frequently Asked Questions about FSW
Standard diffusion bonding requires extremely high pressure and perfectly flat surfaces to crush asperities. TLP bonding uses a liquid interlayer to fill gaps, requiring much less pressure (often just tooling weight) while achieving similar bond strength.
While possible, FSW is primarily optimized for Aluminum alloys. For copper cold plates, we recommend Vacuum Brazing or TLP Bonding for better results
It is generally more expensive than standard brazing due to the long furnace cycle times and precise preparation, but it is cost-effective for high-value applications requiring zero failure rates.