Custom cooling plates for IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC power modules and other applications.
Heat generated by IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC power modules, and other power semiconductors must be reliably dissipated to ensure that component temperatures remain within the permissible operating range.
Water-cooled heat sinks transfer heat from the power components to a liquid coolant via a cooling plate. This allows high heat loads to be efficiently dissipated from the system, even when installation space is limited.
Miba supports your project from thermal design and CFD simulation through design and manufacturing to application-specific validation.
Whether vacuum-brazed or friction-stir-welded cooling plates, profile-based solutions or cooling plates with embedded tubes: Miba selects the appropriate technology based on your thermal, mechanical, and economic requirements.
Miba manufactures water-cooled heat sinks based on existing drawings and specifications or designs a custom cooling solution based on your thermal and mechanical constraints.
Air cooling is often a robust and cost-effective solution for thermal management in power electronics. However, whether it is sufficient for a given application depends, among other factors, on power dissipation, the maximum allowable component temperature, ambient temperature, available installation space, and airflow.
If power density and thermal load increase, or if only limited installation space and airflow are available, a water-cooled heat sink may be a suitable alternative. Liquid coolants can efficiently remove heat from the system, thereby enabling compact cooling solutions for high thermal demands.
The entire thermal path, from the power semiconductor through the thermal interface and heat spreader to the cooling medium, is critical.
| Air cooling | Liquid cooling | |
| Heat dissipation under high thermal demands | For low to high heat loads; tailored to the installation space and airflow | Suitable for high to very high heat loads and power densities |
| Installation space | Depending on the required surface area and airflow | Compact solutions are possible even under demanding thermal conditions |
| Coolant | Defined airflow or ambient air | For example, water or a water-glycol mixture |
| System complexity | Lower; especially with passive cooling | Higher; due to the cooling circuit, pump, connections, and leak-tightness requirements |
Have the requirements reviewed.
Depending on the application, different cooling plate and manufacturing technologies are used. The specific requirements for heat dissipation, cooling medium, pressure drop, installation space, leak tightness, pressure resistance, and quantity are decisive factors.
Miba manufactures water-cooled heat sinks using four different technologies:
Vacuum-brazed cooling plates enable the creation of complex, precision-machined cooling channels and the targeted routing of the cooling medium. This allows the thermally effective surface area, heat distribution, and pressure drop to be specifically tailored to the requirements of the respective application.
A high-performance heat sink typically consists of a machined base plate and one or more cover plates. After the channel structures are manufactured, the individual components are joined via aluminum vacuum brazing to form a closed cooling structure. This process enables high-quality, full-surface brazed joints without the use of flux, thereby forming the basis for high-performance and reliable cooling plates designed to meet the most demanding requirements
Burst pressure up to over 3,650 psi (over 250 bar), no flux required, minimal warpage.
Download: Product Data Sheet VBA
In friction stir-welded cooling plates, the base body and cover plate are joined without completely melting the material. A rotating tool plasticizes the material along the weld line and creates a load-bearing joint between the components.
This results in minimal warpage and a high-quality joint. Custom channel geometries enable targeted flow control and efficient heat dissipation. The channel layout, heat transfer area, and pressure drop can be tailored to the thermal and hydraulic requirements of the application.
FSW cooling plates are suitable for applications with high demands on cooling performance, leak tightness and installation space, for example, for cooling IGBT and MOSFET power modules in inverters, as well as in traction and power applications.
Profile-based liquid coolers are based on extruded aluminum profiles in which the cooling channels are integrated directly into the profile during the extrusion process. The channel geometry can be specifically tailored to the thermal requirements and the layout of the respective power semiconductor modules.
The combination of an integrated channel structure and subsequent mechanical machining allows module positions, connections, and external dimensions to be customized to meet specific customer requirements. This results in a robust and cost-effective cooling solution that is particularly well-suited for applications with recurring module and heat sink geometries, as well as higher production volumes.
Profile-based liquid coolers are used, for example, to cool IGBTs and other power semiconductor modules.
In tubed cold plates, copper or stainless steel tubes are embedded in an aluminum base. The coolant flows inside the tube and therefore does not come into direct contact with the aluminum base.
This design is particularly suitable for applications with specific requirements regarding the cooling medium, corrosion resistance, or material compatibility. The tube routing, tube material, plate geometry, and thermal interface are designed to meet the specific requirements of the application.
Technical features
Miba manufactures water-cooled heat sinks in two ways:
You provide an existing drawing, specifications, and the required testing criteria. Miba evaluates the manufacturability and produces the water-cooled heat sink according to your specifications.
If necessary, manufacturability, tolerances, material selection, and the testing concept can be evaluated jointly.
You define the requirements, for example:
Based on this, Miba designs the appropriate cooling solution and selects the suitable manufacturing technology.
From the initial design through validation, the Miba Solution Team guides you through the entire development process. This includes, among other things, CFD simulation and thermal design, engineering, manufacturing, and application-specific testing
Talk to the Solution Team!
The performance of a water-cooled heat sink depends on the interaction between the heat source, the thermal interface, the cooling plate geometry, the coolant, the inlet temperature, the flow rate, and the pressure drop.
Miba takes these constraints into account as early as the concept and design phase.
Using thermal calculations and simulations, temperature distribution, flow patterns, and pressure drop can be evaluated, and the cooling solution can be tailored to the specific application.
Depending on the project and quality requirements, the water-cooled heat sink can undergo a defined test program prior to shipment. Miba can test thermal performance, leak tightness and mechanical strength in its own test environment. Various testing and validation options are available depending on project and testing requirements.
Water-cooled heat sinks are used in applications where high heat dissipation must be reliably managed and where installation space, airflow, or environmental conditions limit the use of purely air-cooled solutions.
Power conversion and inverter
Rail und industrial drives
Renewable energy: solar and wind
HVDC Applications
E-Mobility and charging infrastructure
Aviation and Aerospace
The development time depends on the specific requirements of your project, such as its technical complexity, specifications, the chosen manufacturing technology, and the scope of validation required.
Once we receive your requirements, the Miba Solution Team evaluates the technical implementation and development effort and provides a well-founded estimate of the potential project timeline.
Yes. Miba manufactures custom water-cooled heat sinks as prototypes as well as in small- and large-scale production runs. The quantity, planned production volume, and scalability are taken into account as early as the design and manufacturing technology selection phase.
Water-cooled heat sinks can be manufactured in a variety of customer-specific dimensions and geometries. The achievable size depends on the selected manufacturing technology as well as the thermal and mechanical requirements.
Yes. Depending on the application, a combination of different technologies, materials, or design principles may be the right solution.
Miba evaluates your thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and economic constraints and uses this information to design the appropriate cooling solution.
Possible surface treatments depend on the electrical requirements and environmental conditions.
Possible processes are selected on a project-by-project basis based on the application and the required material compatibility. The Miba Solution Team will assist you in evaluating the appropriate design.
