CNC Machined
Water Cooling Plates

Standard: 1.5 mm channel width on 3 mm pitch (1.5 mm wall between channels). For ultra-dense micro-channel plates: 1.0 mm channel on 2 mm pitch is achievable with dedicated micro-milling tooling — DFM review required. Minimum channel width is limited by tool diameter and L/D ratio of the end-mill.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is the preferred method for aluminium battery cooling plates — fully hermetic, no gaskets, compatible with automotive vibration and thermal cycling. Vacuum brazing is used for complex channel geometries that FSW cannot access. O-ring cover plate is used for development prototypes and small batches where serviceability is needed. HXC machines the base plate for all three methods.

Channel milling in large aluminium plates releases residual stress, causing the plate to bow. HXC uses: (1) T651 billet (pre-stretched, low residual stress); (2) Two-stage machining — rough mill all channels, allow 24h stress relief, then finish mill and surface grind; (3) Distributed fixturing — prevents midspan deflection during milling. Final flatness ≤ 0.01 mm verified by CMM.

Hydrostatic test at 1.5× rated working pressure, minimum 5 bar, for 5 minutes — zero pressure drop accepted. Test records include: test pressure, test duration, medium (water or nitrogen), date, and inspector signature. Provided with every production plate.

Yes — aluminium water cooling plates are typically Type II anodized (5–8 µm, corrosion protection) or left bare (for FSW + paint systems). Hard anodize (Type III, 15–25 µm) is used for plates exposed to abrasion or aggressive coolant. Internal channel anodizing is verified by cross-section dye-penetrant check on a sample from each batch.

Specify your coolant type — common options: water/glycol (EG or PG) for standard automotive/industrial; deionised water for electronics cooling; dielectric fluid for direct-liquid cooling; phase-change fluid for vapour chamber hybrid plates. Material selection depends on coolant: SUS316L for deionised water systems (prevents aluminium oxide particle contamination).

MOQ: 1 prototype. Production batch range: 50–5,000 pcs per order. For large production volumes (>1,000 pcs), HXC uses dedicated fixtures and SPC process control to maintain dimensional consistency. CPK ≥ 1.33 on all critical dimensions is standard for production orders above 500 pcs.

Prototype: 7–10 days. Batch (100–500 pcs): 12–18 days. Large production (1,000+ pcs): 18–26 days.