Cooling that keeps the cycle where the heat goes

Large cold plates are standard for us: the range we manufacture runs from 30 mm to 3,000 mm edge length, from a postage stamp to three metres, for conveyor belts, press tooling or oil pans. The limit is set not by manufacturing but by flatness: the longer a plate, the harder it is to hold tight flatness across the whole length after joining and machining, because residual stresses in the material relax. In practice that means large plates are produced in stages (pre-machining, joining, stress-relief annealing, final machining), and that drives throughput time more than sheer size. Limit: if you need tight flatness over more than 2 metres, let us discuss tolerance zones first. A tolerance demanded across the full length can cost a multiple of the same tolerance on defined partial areas.

Yes. A plate with a fluid channel is a heat exchanger and works in both directions: with a warm medium it heats a part, with a cold one it cools it. That is exactly how tooling is temperature-controlled, oil pans are pre-heated or products are brought to process temperature. Little changes in the design, with one exception: when heating, the temperature differences and therefore the thermal expansion are often larger than when cooling, so the mounting has to allow expansion. Fixed bolting at both ends of a long plate leads to distortion or cracks. So state the inlet temperature and the temperature range, not just the power. Limit: the application ends above the temperature limit of the medium or the seals; for high temperatures an electric cartridge heater in the part is often the simpler solution.

Lead time depends on three things: availability of the raw material, the joining process and the amount of machining. For catalogue profiles from the profile database with cutting and simple machining the lead time is around 6 weeks; with express handling 2 weeks are possible. For customer-specific cold plates with a joining process, testing and documentation it takes correspondingly longer, and a new extrusion profile adds tooling and press dates that lie outside our control. What most often extends lead time in practice is not manufacturing but clarification: incomplete information, open tolerance questions or certificates requested after the fact. That is why our quotation always states what has to be in place for the date given. Limit: we state binding dates in the quotation relative to order receipt. A general lead time figure on a website would be unserious.

Yes, and it is the most common order type of all: pick a profile from the profile database, cut it to length, add holes, threads and countersinks, anodise on request, with a minimum order of one piece. For a quotation we need the profile designation, the length, the quantity and a drawing or sketch of the machining; without machining details only the cutting can be costed. It also makes sense to ask for several quantity brackets, because the unit price falls steeply with quantity, since set-up occurs only once. You should also state from which side the threads are to be added, because the heat transfer face normally has to stay unmachined and flat. Limit: a profile that is not in the database is not available from stock. That needs dedicated tooling or a milled alternative.

Possible are female threads for standard fittings, soldered or press-fitted ports, flanges, and protruding tube ends for connecting a hose directly. The most robust is a female thread in the plate body, because there is no additional transition; the cheapest is the protruding tube end. What matters is the pressure rating of the fitting: it is regularly the weakest link. In one project the fittings were rated to 16 bar while the system's test criterion was above that. That is why we review test pressure and fitting data sheet together. We supply fittings with the parts if you wish, or you procure them yourself. In that case, tell us the type and material so we can match thread and material pairing. Limit: for customer-procured fittings we cannot guarantee leak tightness in operation.

Liquid-carrying coolers are leak-tested before delivery, in series projects at 100 %; typical are pressure tests such as 8 bar for one minute to the process plan, and in demanding projects criteria up to 40 bar for 30 seconds. We supply the test record, with photo documentation on request. The test medium is air or water depending on the requirement; for the highest requirements there is the helium leak test. Important for your specification: state operating pressure, required test pressure, hold time and permissible leak rate, because “tight” on its own cannot be tested, and a test pressure chosen too high can damage fittings or thin walls. Limit: we do not carry out cyclic pressure endurance tests over many thousands of cycles ourselves.

For applications with food contact, stainless steel plates are an option, usually 1.4404 or 1.4435 (316L) with a smooth, cleanable surface and no crevices where product residues can remain. Aluminium is generally not suitable for direct food contact. The most common case in practice is indirect: a stainless steel vessel is cooled from outside, and the art lies in establishing heat transfer between the vessel wall and the cooler. An air gap of a few millimetres makes the cooling practically ineffective, which is why cooling jackets are made to fit closely or vessels are placed in a water bath. Limit, honestly stated: we do not issue declarations of conformity for food contact under the relevant regulations; we supply material certificates, and the assessment for your process stays with you.

For initial sampling we supply a dimensional report, material certificate and leak or pressure test record; on request also surface and coating thickness evidence plus photo documentation. Projects with long service lives usually add initial sample inspection documentation whose scope we agree in advance, because “initial sampling” means something different for every customer, and certificates requested after the fact are the most common cause of delay in release. Material certificates are normally supplied as an inspection certificate to EN 10204 3.1, provided the supplier issues one. Please state the certificate type you need in your enquiry, not on delivery. Limit: tests we do not perform ourselves (vibration testing or fire certification, for example) we commission externally where needed and itemise the cost separately.

We start from your load case: heat load, distribution across the area, permissible component temperature, inlet temperature, volume flow and installation space. This yields the Rth budget, which we test in thermal simulation against variants of the channel routing, before design work begins.

Yes, we cool spindles, tool holders, housings and load-bearing structural parts. In machine tools, thermal drift of the structure is often a bigger lever than cooling the electronics, because the gradient costs dimensional accuracy.

We process copper, copper-nickel, stainless steel and aluminium. The choice follows three criteria: thermal conductivity, media compatibility and mechanical requirement. We frequently combine: conductive material at the heat source, resistant material at the medium. On request with anodising or powder coating, matched to process media and cleaning agents.

Through geometry: no dead volumes, adequate cross-sections, flushable channel routing. We also match material, medium and inhibitor, because deposits usually arise from the material pairing rather than from the channel size.

Samples in around 6-8 weeks as standard, 2-4 weeks by express. For series production we manufacture in a highly automated plant in Germany; cost-sensitive standard parts come from our joint ventures in Asia. We supply from a single piece to 100,000 per year.

Yes, that is the norm for us. We sign your non-disclosure agreement or provide ours. We never pass on customer projects or application details.