By li, chen 
With the rapid advancement of high-power electronic devices and AI computing power, traditional cooling methods are struggling to meet heat dissipation demands. 3D-printed liquid cooling plates have emerged as a solution. These metal cooling plates feature intricate internal micro-channels, manufactured using SLM and other metal additive manufacturing technologies to enable efficient coolant flow and rapid heat removal.
According to the latest forecast from QYResearch, the global market for 3D-printed liquid cold plates is expected to reach $590 million by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6.3% in the coming years. This highlights the immense potential of high-performance, customized cooling solutions. Among these, copper liquid cold plates hold the largest market share, becoming a core focus of the industry.
However, due to copper’s high thermal conductivity and high reflectivity, achieving precision processing of complex micro-channels with stable performance is difficult using traditional near-infrared laser printing. Currently, many in the market utilize LPBF equipment with green lasers to improve absorption rates (up to 40%), but this approach comes with higher costs.
In response, AMpro has taken a different path, opting to use red laser technology for printing copper materials. The following introduces AMpro’s comprehensive red laser solution, demonstrating how deep synergy between equipment, materials, and processes effectively overcomes the challenges of high reflectivity and high thermal conductivity in copper cold plates, enabling high-performance, industrial-scale production.
Equipment Innovation: Specialized Red Laser Machines Tackle Highly Reflective CopperAMpro’s self-developed red laser printing machines are equipped with high-power (500–1000W) red lasers and feature anti-high-reflection design, enabling stable printing of highly reflective, highly thermally conductive pure copper materials. The equipment covers a full size range from 100mm precision scientific research parts to 1500mm large-scale aerospace components, successfully overcoming the instability issues in forming highly reflective metals.
Foundation of Material: In-house Powder Production Secures Supply of High-Purity Copper Powder
AMpro’s self-developed GHA high-temperature atomization process achieves ultra-high temperature melting up to 3000°C instantaneously. Utilizing non-contact melting effectively prevents the introduction of impurities, ensuring ultra-high purity and yield of the powder.
The powder boasts a sphericity >95%, with almost no satellite particles, hollow powders, or inclusions, and excellent flowability. This ensures uniform powder spreading during the laser printing process, laying the foundation for high-density printing.
Notably, relying on AMpro’s high-performance powder preparation center and six specialized production lines in Shanxi, the company can stably deliver industrial-grade high-purity copper powder. This provides a solid foundation for producing high thermal conductivity, high-density copper printed parts, achieving industry-leading levels of material printability and reliability.
Process Integration: Synergistic Optimization Unlocks the Potential of Pure Copper Printing
Through deep synergy between powder, equipment, and scanning strategies, AMpro optimizes energy input and melt pool control. This enables the thermal conductivity of pure copper printed parts to stabilize at 400–410 W/(m·K), approaching the level of conventional pure copper and holding a leading position in the industry.
Simultaneously, by optimizing printing strategies, the internal density of their printed parts can reach over 99.9%, accompanied by excellent mechanical properties. For instance, the tensile strength of pure copper is ≥380 MPa, and for CuCrZr copper alloy it is ≥540 MPa, while also supporting the formation of ultra-fine, complex-shaped flow channel structures.
Indeed, as heat dissipation demands from AI chips continue to escalate, 3D-printed liquid cold plates are facing broad development prospects.
In the past, the industry mostly focused on green laser solutions. Today, AMpro is opening up new possibilities with the red laser approach. Leveraging their self-developed red laser printing machines, high-purity copper powder, and optimized processes, the thermal conductivity of their cold plates reaches 400–410 W/(m·K) with internal density exceeding 99.9%, demonstrating continuously improving technological maturity.
Looking globally, only few companies can truly achieve this level, and AMpro is already at the forefront.
TCT Asia is about to open. If you are interested in industrial-grade red laser pure copper printing, be sure to visit the AMpro booth.
Booth Number: 7A35