VME64x/VPX Cold Plates Enlist For Military Apps

Compliant with VME64x/VPX standards and supporting commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) packaging, the company’s latest line of cold plates are worthy contenders for demanding military and aerospace applications. Lightweight and rugged, the components are available in 3U, 6U, and 9U formats and offer three technology options. First up, baseline aluminum cold plates employ thermally-conductive aluminum alloys like 6061 and 6063 with thermal conductivity values of 166 and 201 W/m°K. These meet most basic performance requirements. Second, with six times the conductance and up to 20% lower mass of aluminum components, Thermacore’s patented k-Core material extends thermal performance of aluminum cold plates to lower temperatures. Lastly, the embedded heat pipe cold plate relies on solid aluminum integrated with heat pipes to remove hot spots. These plates reportedly offer significant thermal performance improvement over solid aluminum or copper-based cold plates in applications where the heat source is small. Thermacore Inc., Lancaster, PA. (717) 569-6551.