What information do you need to quote a custom cold plate?

We usually need a 3D model or drawing, expected heat load, coolant type, inlet temperature, target flow rate, allowable pressure drop and any mechanical constraints such as mounting pattern or envelope limits.

Which materials are available for TPS aluminum cold plates?

Most projects start with an aluminum cold plate because it offers a good balance of weight, thermal conductivity and cost. For hotspots or very high power density, copper inserts or tubes can be used in critical zones.

Can TPS design the coolant loop for my system?

TPS focuses on the cold plate itself and its integration with your power electronics. We can work with your system engineers or external partners who handle pumps, radiators and pipework, and we design the plate around the flow and pressure drop budget they define.

Do you support only single-phase water cooling plates?

Most TPS projects use single-phase water-glycol or similar coolants in closed loops. If you are exploring special fluids or two-phase concepts, we can discuss feasibility and see whether our manufacturing routes and materials match your requirements.

Can I order just the liquid cold plate without assembly?

Yes, but many customers ask TPS to combine cold plates with PCBs, magnetics, harnesses and cabinets, so everything is leak-tested and electrically tested together before shipment.

For power electronics, battery and industrial OEMs that need reliable liquid cold plate cooling instead of “just a heatsink”.

Liquid cold plates and custom cold plates for power electronics manufacturing

When airflow and standard heatsinks are no longer enough, a liquid cold plate gives your design a much lower thermal resistance by running coolant directly under the power devices. TPS designs and manufactures custom cold plates – mainly aluminum cold plates with copper inserts – and integrates them with our PCBA, magnetics and cabinet wiring, so you receive tested sub-assemblies instead of loose metal parts.

On this page we explain how our water cooling plates are built, which materials and processes we use, and how liquid cold plates fit into complete power conversion systems.

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What is a liquid cold plate and when do you need one?

A liquid cold plate is a metal plate – usually aluminum or copper – that contains internal channels or embedded tubes. Coolant flows through these channels, picking up heat from power modules, IGBTs, MOSFETs or battery cells mounted on top. Compared with air-cooled heatsinks, cold plate liquid cooling can handle much higher heat flux and keep temperature rise low in compact footprints.

In power electronics, you typically consider a water cooling plate when:

Power density is high: inverters, DC/DC converters or rectifiers where several kilowatts must be removed from a small baseplate.
Airflow is limited: enclosed cabinets, outdoor chargers or sealed battery packs where fans are not practical.
Temperature uniformity matters: battery systems, IGBT stacks and lab equipment where cell-to-cell or module-to-module gradients must stay small.

TPS builds liquid cold plates that connect directly into your coolant loop – water-glycol or other fluids – and designs the mounting features around your power stacks or battery modules.

In a liquid cooled cold plate, heat flows from the devices into the aluminum block and then into the coolant that circulates through internal channels.

TPS capabilities for custom cold plates and water cooling plates

TPS focuses on custom cold plates for industrial and power electronics rather than standard catalog parts. Our team combines thermal, mechanical and manufacturing know-how so that your cold plate design can be produced repeatably and then integrated into complete assemblies.

Precision CNC machining of aluminum cold plates

Precision CNC milling and drilling on 3- and 4-axis machining centres for complex coolant paths, manifolds, mounting faces and threaded ports.
Aluminum cold plate / aluminum cold plates as the main base material, with options for copper inserts where extra conductivity is needed.
O-ring grooves, surface flatness and tolerance schemes defined to match the power modules or battery modules you are using.

Channel and tube concepts for water cooling plates

Machined serpentine or parallel channels for single-phase cold plate liquid cooling with controlled pressure drop.
Options for copper tube-in-aluminum designs where grooves are milled into the plate and tubes are pressed or brazed in.
Provision for quick-connect fittings, hose barbs or manifold blocks depending on your system architecture.

TPS turns your thermal and mechanical requirements into manufacturable 3D data, prototype liquid cold plates and finally tested production parts.

If you already use TPS for PCBA or cabinet builds, you can treat cold plates as another building block inside the same electronic manufacturing services stack.

Cold plate design basics for power electronics

Because many public references already explain general cold plate design, we focus here on topics that matter most for power converters, battery systems and industrial drives.

Thermal performance: heat load, flow rate and temperature limits

Heat load: we start from the continuous and peak dissipation per module or per battery segment, including any overload or short-term events.
Coolant conditions: allowable inlet temperature, flow rate and pressure drop across each liquid cold plate, consistent with your pump and radiator sizing.
Temperature limits: maximum junction or cell temperature, and allowable gradient between devices on the same plate.

Layout and mechanical interface

Mounting hole patterns, slots and positioning pins aligned with your power modules, busbars or battery compression frame.
Flatness and surface finish suited to thermal interface materials, ensuring repeatable contact resistance.
Provision for sensors, bleed screws and drain points where your system needs them.

Public guides such as the Ecotherm cold plate design guide or Expert Thermal’s design and optimisation overview give a good high-level view; TPS then applies these principles specifically to your power electronics project.

Cold plate performance depends on balancing heat load, coolant flow, allowable pressure drop, footprint and the mechanical interface to your power stack.

How we machine and assemble aluminum cold plates

A reliable liquid cooled cold plate is as much about manufacturing as it is about thermal modelling. TPS combines precision CNC machining with proven joining and testing methods to keep performance and leak-tightness under control.

Machining steps for a typical water cooling plate

Blank preparation: cut aluminum plates to size and pre-machine reference surfaces.
CNC milling of channels: rough and finish passes create serpentine or parallel channels, manifolds and port bosses.
Drilling and tapping: threads for fittings, manifold blocks and mounting holes, with controlled depth to protect coolant passages.
Deburring and cleaning: removal of chips and sharp edges, followed by cleaning to keep the coolant circuit free from contamination.

Joining options and leak testing

Vacuum brazed plates: upper and lower plates joined in a vacuum furnace, creating a sealed internal channel structure with high thermal conductivity and leak resistance.
Embedded tube designs: copper tubes pressed into CNC-machined grooves and bonded or brazed in place – a flexible option for prototypes or lower volumes.
Pressure and leak tests: each plate is tested with water or air to specified pressure levels and monitored for leaks before integration.

Need help choosing between different manufacturing processes? Public overviews like SYSPCB’s LCP technology article summarise common methods; TPS then selects the combination that fits your power level, volume and budget.

From raw aluminum plates through CNC machining and joining to leak-tested parts, TPS focuses on stable processes for long-life liquid cooling plates.

Integrating liquid cold plates with PCBs, magnetics and cabinets

Because TPS is first and foremost a power electronics EMS, we rarely ship a cold plate on its own. Instead, liquid cold plates are combined with PCBA, magnetics, coolers, metal parts and full cabinet wiring, so you receive tested sub-systems.

Power modules on cold plates: we mount your semiconductor packages, apply thermal interface materials and connect busbars, current sensors and gate-driver boards.
Battery systems: we build water cooling plate assemblies for battery modules, including manifolds, sensors and harnesses for pack integration.
Cabinets and racks: cold plates mount into industrial cabinets with pumps, filters and heat exchangers, all wired and tested as one system.

You can see how this fits into the bigger picture on our electronic manufacturing services and integration solutions pages, or explore real-world projects in our EMC and compliance cases.

How to start a liquid cold plate project with TPS

To size and quote a liquid cold plate, we do not need a finished CFD model – but we do need clear boundary conditions.

Share your mechanical and thermal data: 3D model or drawing of the power stack, estimated heat dissipation, coolant type, inlet temperature, flow rate and maximum pressure drop.
Define environment and standards: indoor cabinet, outdoor charger, battery pack or lab instrument – plus any industry guidelines we should consider.
Review concept and prototype plan: TPS proposes cold plate design options and manufacturing routes, then plans prototypes along with any PCBA or cabinet builds.

FAQ about liquid cold plates and custom cold plates

What information do you need to quote a custom cold plate?: We usually need a 3D model or drawing, expected heat load, coolant type, inlet temperature, target flow rate, allowable pressure drop and any mechanical constraints such as mounting pattern or envelope limits. If you already have a coolant loop design, sharing pump and radiator specs also helps.
Which materials are available for TPS aluminum cold plates?: Most projects start with an aluminum cold plate because it offers a good balance of weight, thermal conductivity and cost. For hotspots or very high power density, we can add copper inserts or tubes in critical zones.
Can TPS design the coolant loop for my system?: We focus on the cold plate itself and its integration with your power electronics. We can work with your system engineers or external partners who handle pumps, radiators and pipework, and we design the plate around the flow and pressure drop budget they define.
Do you support only single-phase water cooling plates?: Most TPS projects use single-phase water-glycol or similar coolants in closed loops. If you are exploring special fluids or two-phase concepts, we can discuss feasibility and see whether our manufacturing routes and materials match your requirements.
Can I order just the liquid cold plate without assembly?: Yes, but many customers ask us to combine cold plates with PCBs, magnetics, harnesses and cabinets. This reduces supplier count and ensures that everything is leak-tested and electrically tested together before shipment.