Pressing

Pressing technologies play a crucial role in the production of efficient heat sinks and liquid cooling plates in power electronics. These technologies utilize both force-fit and form-fit to create high-performance cooling structures or implement complex cooling circuits.

cooling plates before and after inserting copper pipes

Force-Fit & Form-Fit

Force-fit connections involve mechanically joining components through applied pressure, resulting in a strong and reliable bond. Form-fit refers to the precise matching of parts, which ensures optimal sealing and mechanical stability. Specifically, pressing pipe geometries with force-fit and form-fit, without the use of external media, enables the production of highly efficient liquid coolers that impress with their performance and durability.

Process & Pipe Geometries

During pipe pressing, also known as tube expansion or roll bonding, precisely fabricated pipe geometries are pressed into specially prepared cooling plates or heat sinks made of aluminum or copper. This process and the groove geometry ensure that the pipe is firmly anchored within the cooling structure, providing excellent thermal coupling and efficient heat transfer between the pipe and the heat sink. The direct thermal connection between the cooling medium in the pipe and the surface of the heat sink allows for extremely effective heat dissipation, significantly enhancing the thermal performance of the entire cooling solution.

schematic representation of the pipe pressing process

This technology is particularly used in high-performance applications requiring precise temperature control and maximum heat dissipation, such as inverters, power transistors, or LED lighting. A major advantage of pipe pressing is its high process stability and repeatability, ensuring consistently high-quality cooling solutions. The use of force-fit and form-fit creates a metallic bond between the pipe and the heat sink, offering excellent thermal conductivity and extreme mechanical durability. This makes liquid coolers produced this way especially resistant to thermal and mechanical stresses, as commonly found in industrial or automotive applications. Moreover, this technique enables a compact design, as no additional sealing materials or connectors are required, making the overall construction lighter and more space-efficient. By using aluminum or copper pipes in combination with heat sinks of the same materials, optimal compatibility and thermal efficiency are achieved.

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Thermal Performance & Stability

Copper pipes offer even more effective heat dissipation due to their high thermal conductivity, while aluminum pipes are preferred for their low weight and good corrosion resistance. The choice of material depends on the specific application requirements, such as desired thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, or weight. During production, pipe pressing allows for high flexibility, as different pipe geometries, lengths, and diameters can be easily adapted and integrated into the heat sink. This makes it possible to create customized liquid cooling plates for varying performance requirements and spatial constraints. This flexibility is particularly advantageous in the development and production of prototypes or small series, where rapid adjustments and optimizations are required.

Overall, pressing technology for inserting pipes into liquid cooling plates provides an extremely effective and economical method for manufacturing high-performance cooling solutions. It combines excellent thermal performance with high mechanical stability, while also enabling flexible, cost-efficient production that meets the demands of modern power electronics.

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