Discover how a major manufacturer is cooling higher-wattage GPUs, TPUs, optical networking devices, and other systems within next-generation AI servers. Laird™-brand thermal interface products such as Tpcm™ 7000 phase change material are cooling hot components while dent-resistant Laird™ MaxAir™ metallized polycarbonate vent panels are allowing greater server and system airflow.
TURNING DOWN THE HEAT: PRACTICAL COOLING STRATEGIES FOR COMPUTING SYSTEMS
Project: Advanced cooling solutions for a tech giant’s high-performance data centers
One of the most influential tech companies in the world required cutting-edge thermal management expertise for its various systems. This case study explores how Laird, a DuPont business, partnered with a long-term customer to ensure critical electronic components stay cool and perform efficiently, even as the demand for computing power continues to rise.
Over the last few years, computing power required by artificial intelligence has grown 1,000,000.* As servers churn through astonishing data volumes, they also release a tremendous thermal load.
Discover how Laird’s expertise helped this customer manage the heat in its data centers.
Top supplier of thermal interface materials
As a trusted leader in thermal interface materials, Laird keeps electronics cool for many of the leading AI players in the world. Why Laird? Its breadth of expertise, technical problem solving, and near unlimited imagination tackle the challenges of surging temperatures of GPUs, TPUs, servers, optical networking components, and other AI-related processing equipment.
As temperatures rise, phase change materials (PCMs) soften to fill micro voids and decrease thermal contact resistance to keep surroundings cooler. This ability to store and release heat makes PCMs useful for temperature control and energy storage applications. Softening between 50°C – 70°C, the initial pad thickness can decrease to a bondline as thin as 25µm. Coupled with superior wetting of the mating surfaces and displacing air, Tpcm™ 7000 provides some of the industry’s low est thermal resistance.
*(Princeton Engineering, “Built for AI, this chip moves beyond transistors”: https://engineering.princeton.edu/news/2024/03/06/ built-ai-chip-moves-beyond-transistors-huge-computational-gains)
KEEPING EQUIPMENT COOL, GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
Compared to other common alternatives of thermal interface materials, like thermal greases, PCMs provide more stable and consistent performance for high-power thermal loads. In several applications, this customer decided to use the Laird™ Tpcm™ 780 thermal interface material and Tpcm™ 7000 phase change material.
Tremendous growth in AI sectors shifted requirements. The customer consulted with its long-term customers about a new PCM that would address higher wattage demands. The recommendation was Laird™ Tpcm™ 7000 phase change material, a new polymeric matrix with improved performance and longer-term stability when faced with varying thermal loads. The AI-driven upgrade was a natural transition for the customer to make for next-generation server devices.
TPCM™ 7000 THERMAL PAD HIGHLIGHTS:
Thermal conductivity of 7.5 W/mK to enhance cooling in the most rigorous thermal challenges.
Ultra slim bondline as thin as 25µm.
Survives punishing aging tests exposed to 150°C for 2000 hours
WHERE ELSE YOU’LL FIND LAIRD IN BIG TECH
Laird’s customer needed to improve airflow in the servers used in hyperscale data centers. The method also needed to mitigate electromagnetic interference. The customer wanted a lightweight, dent-resistant, durable solution that could be handled without damaging it — one that also met a stringent UL94 flammability standard.
THE ANSWER: A MAXAIR™ VENT PANELS
Frameless design increases the open area for maximizing airflow while mitigating EMI.
UL94 V0 flame retardant.
Quick, press-fit installation: MaxAir™ doesn’t require fasteners, rivets, or specialized equipment to install. It instead utilizes a compressible EMI gasket attached to the perimeter that allows for technicians to press-fit into an opening easily.
WHY LAIRD’S PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS LASTS:
Laird deploys an expansive team of field application engineers around the world to support an on-site, region-by-region strategy full of experts that understand the challenges of various countries and product groups. Their team has the technical knowledge to answer the most challenging questions in the local language to reach the quickest resolution possible.
Always thinking towards the future: Laird doesn’t only build solutions for today’s problems, but simultaneously works with your team to lay the foundation for tomorrow’s cooling challenges. Much of Laird’s work on custom projects is just phase one of a thermal innovation you’ll need five or more years down the line. Laird fosters a problem-solving/consulting relationship to help you overcome future obstacles before they become a problem.
A broader perspective: Laird goes above and beyond technical specifications by working with a diverse group of global manufacturers to support on-time deliveries and production programs undisrupted by regional challenges. Through their commitment to end-to-end product success, Laird also explores new automated application techniques to assure fast and accurate installations.
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