Transportation

Electric vehicles rely on high-power electronics that generate significant heat. Advanced heatsink and thermal management solutions are essential to ensure performance, safety, efficiency, and long service life.

1. Air-Cooled Heatsinks (Passive & Forced Air)

Types

• Extruded aluminum heatsinks
• Bonded fin heatsinks
• Stamped fin assemblies
• Heatpipe-enhanced air-cooled heatsinks

Capabilities

• Dissipate low to moderate power (typically up to ~200–400 W depending on airflow)
• Lightweight and cost-effective
• Suitable for auxiliary EV electronics
• Can be combined with fans or blowers for enhanced cooling

Typical EV Applications

• DC-DC converters
• On-board chargers (low power sections)
• Battery management systems (BMS)
• Control units and sensors

2. Liquid Cold Plate Heatsinks

Types

• Brazed aluminum cold plates
• Friction stir welded (FSW) cold plates
• Machined serpentine cold plates
• Multi-channel and pin-fin cold plates

Capabilities

• High heat dissipation: 1 kW to >10 kW
• Uniform temperature distribution
• Supports water-glycol or dielectric fluids
• Compact, high power density design
• Automotive-grade sealing and pressure resistance

Typical EV Applications

• Traction inverters
• Motor controllers
• High-power on-board chargers
• Battery module and pack cooling

3. Battery Thermal Management Plates

Types

• Flat aluminum cooling plates
• Extruded or roll-bonded battery plates
• Cold plates with embedded channels
• Multi-layer battery cooling assemblies

Capabilities

• Maintain battery temperature within safe operating window
• Enable fast charging and high discharge rates
• Minimize thermal runaway risk
• Designed for long lifecycle and vibration resistance

Typical EV Applications

• Battery modules
• Battery packs (cell-to-plate or module-to-plate designs)

4. Heatpipe & Vapor Chamber Heatsinks

Types

• Copper heatpipe assemblies
• Vapor chamber base plates
• Hybrid vapor chamber + liquid cold plate designs

Capabilities

• Extremely low thermal resistance
• Spreads heat evenly from high-flux components
• Ideal for localized hot spots
• Improves reliability of power semiconductors

Typical EV Applications

• IGBT and SiC MOSFET modules
• Compact inverter designs
• High-density power electronics

5. Integrated Structural Heatsinks

Types

• Die-cast aluminum housings with cooling fins
• Structural cold plates
• Motor housing integrated heatsinks

Capabilities

• Combine mechanical structure + thermal management
• Reduce weight and part count
• High vibration and shock resistance
• Optimized for automotive packaging constraints

Typical EV Applications

• Inverter housings
• Motor drive enclosures
• Integrated power electronics modules

Key Design & Manufacturing Capabilities for EV Heatsinks

• Materials: Aluminum (6061, 6063), copper, hybrid Al-Cu
• Manufacturing Processes:
  • Extrusion
  • CNC machining
  • Brazing
  • Friction Stir Welding (FSW)
  • Die casting
  • Heatpipe & vapor chamber integration
• Thermal Performance Optimization:
  • CFD & thermal simulation
  • Low thermal resistance interfaces
  • Uniform flow channel design
• Automotive Compliance:
  • High reliability & long life
  • Vibration and thermal cycling resistance
  • Leak-proof liquid designs
  • Scalable for volume production