FSW-joined custom liquid cold plates in aluminum, copper, and stainless

Problem solved

High-conductivity Al/Cu jackets are hard to melt-weld or braze without porosity, slag, or whole-part overheating; lid-thickness variation after finishing also creates hot spots. The shop mills channels and FSW-seals the lid on one hybrid machine, then press-corrects warp so the lid thickness (path from coolant to the heat-source face) is uniform.

Application contexts

• Custom liquid cold plates for process equipment and vacuum chambers
• Aluminum or copper jackets where braze voids or melt-weld porosity are unacceptable
• Stainless jackets that must hold vacuum-side leak tightness and a flattened heat-source face

Technical principle

Jacket = grooved base + lid. FSW: rotating tool, 1.2 t downforce, 4–6 mm stir depth, solid-state join below melting point; then ~1 mm face mill so the joint line disappears. Stainless: TIG lid weld plus press flattening; contact flatness stated within 0.2. Joining options also listed: vacuum braze, EBW. Max envelope φ800 mm or 1000 × 2000 mm. All parts customer-spec.

Typical use cases

• A6061 FSW cold plate, 60–270 mm, medical or automotive equipment prototype
• C1020 oval copper jacket with distortion correction after machining
• SUS304/316 circular jacket 400–900 mm for vacuum tools