Variable-frequency drive cabinets
Manage distributed module losses, warm inlet air and filter resistance with accessible, directed air paths or a defined liquid loop.
POWER ELECTRONICS & INDUSTRIAL DRIVES
Thermal headroom for demanding drive systems
Custom heat sinks and liquid cold plates for IGBT and SiC power stages. Match cooling to your duty cycle, cabinet conditions and production requirements.
Variable-frequency drives
/
Servo systems
/
Power converters
Bring your heat load, space envelope and operating conditions.
Discuss Your Cooling Requirements
Heat problems start with the operating conditions
A drive that passes a bench test can still overheat inside a compact cabinet. Design around the conditions your equipment will actually face.
Sustained load and overload peaks
Repeated acceleration, braking and high-torque operation create changing losses. Define continuous and transient heat loads before sizing the cooler.
Restricted cabinet airflow
Filters, ducts and nearby components shift the fan operating point. Use the airflow through the heat sink, together with air pressure drop.
Higher power density
Smaller IGBT and SiC power stages concentrate heat at the mounting surface. Spreading resistance and interface quality can limit the whole assembly.
Cycling and contamination
Thermal expansion, dust and coolant exposure affect joints and flow paths. Plan for connection integrity, cleaning access and material compatibility.
Turn the conditions behind overheating into a clear cooling specification.
Review Your Operating Conditions
Build the thermal budget from the junction out
Start with the device temperature limit and actual cooling boundary. Then allocate the temperature rise across the package, interface and cooling assembly.
1
Device and load: Share the device loss map, heat-source footprint, duty cycle and junction temperature target.
2
Installation boundary: Define the mounting area, available height, airflow direction, electrical clearance and service access.
3
Cooling boundary: Provide worst-case inlet air or coolant temperature, installed flow and allowable pressure drop.
Thermal Resistance Path & Budget
Semiconductor junction
Package and baseplate
Thermal interface
Heat sink or cold plate
Inlet air or coolant
Governing Thermal Equation
Junction temperature = inlet temperature + device, interface and cooler temperature rises
Use the device loss map and thermal network. For distributed heat sources, assess each mounting location and thermal interaction.
Give your next design review a cooling budget that can be checked.
Define Your Thermal BudgetChoose the cooling route around the constraint
Compare air, liquid and hybrid approaches against the same heat load, space and operating boundary.
Air-cooled heat sinks
Extruded, skived and bonded-fin structures match fin area and spacing to the available fan pressure, enclosure space and cost target.
For cabinet airflow and serviceable air paths.
Verify installed airflow, pressure drop and base temperature.
Liquid cold plates
Tube-in-plate, vacuum-brazed and friction-stir-welded designs move heat from concentrated power stages into a defined coolant loop.
For limited airflow or higher heat flux.
Specify coolant chemistry, flow, pressure drop and leak limits.
Hybrid cooling assemblies
Liquid cooling handles the main power stage while fins or heat pipes manage auxiliary electronics within the same installation.
For mixed heat sources and separate cooling boundaries.
Validate main and auxiliary loads together.
Compare the routes before committing your mechanical layout.
Compare Cooling OptionsCooling shaped by the drive application
Different power stages create different constraints. Match the heat path to the machine, cabinet and load profile.
Servo and motion systems
Address compact mounting, repeated acceleration cycles and vibration with controlled interfaces and installation-aware thermal design.
Industrial power converters
Balance multi-module heat spreading, coolant distribution and pressure drop for inverter, rectifier and energy-conversion platforms.
Start with the operating profile of your equipment.
Discuss Your Application
Mechanical Interface Stack
Power module
IGBT / SiC
↓ Controlled mounting force ↓
Thermal interface
TIM / Phase-change
Machined contact face
Ra 0.8–1.6 μm
Cooling assembly
Air-cooled extruded/bonded fin or liquid cold plate core
Interface plan defines fastener torque, compression percentage, contact planarity and wetted loop integrity before tool release.
Control the interfaces that decide the result
Thermal performance depends on how the assembly is mounted and connected. Freeze critical interfaces before sample approval.
01
Contact surface
Define flatness, roughness and measurement span. Fine-machined interfaces can target Ra 0.8–1.6 μm and ≤0.05 mm flatness over 100 mm, subject to the approved drawing.
02
TIM and clamping
Select thickness and compression from the actual gap and device load limit. Confirm torque, spring force and mounting sequence with the module specification.
03
Fluid and material compatibility
Match wetted metals, seals and inhibited coolant. Check corrosion risk, filtration, drainage and air removal as a single loop.
04
Mechanical and electrical fit
Review hole patterns, connector clearance, insulating requirements and coating masks. Keep thermal and grounding surfaces defined on the drawing.
Resolve mounting and loop details while changes are still inexpensive.
Review Your Installation InterfacesValidate performance at the installed boundary
Compare results only when the heat-source layout, inlet condition and measurement method are defined. Our reports connect thermal results to a repeatable setup.
Air-cooling validation
- Record heat load and source footprint
- Measure inlet air and base hot spots
- Measure airflow through the installed heat sink
- Report air pressure drop and steady-state criteria
Liquid-cooling validation
- Record coolant formulation and inlet temperature
- Measure flow and cold-plate pressure drop
- Log base hot spots and inlet/outlet temperatures
- Check heat balance using the actual fluid properties
Evidence that travels with the sample
Sensor and heater layout
Thermal resistance and pressure-drop data
Dimensional and material records
Agreed acceptance criteria
For standard 0.3 MPa-rated industrial cold plates: 0.6 MPa hydrostatic proof for 10 minutes, followed by cleaning, drying and final gas-leak testing. Other ratings use the approved test plan.
Define what a passing result looks like before testing begins.
Specify Your Validation Plan
A 1.5 kW cooling solution for an industrial drive
For a German industrial inverter OEM, a bonded-fin assembly managed six distributed power modules within a 400 × 600 × 100 mm envelope.
1.5 kW
Total applied heat load
80 °C
Maximum measured base temperature
0.030 K/W
Equivalent hottest-base-to-inlet-air resistance
300 units
First production delivery after a 30-unit pilot
Test Boundary & Conditions
Test boundary: six 80 × 80 mm heat sources at 250 W each, 35 °C inlet air and 600 m³/h actual airflow. Equivalent resistance uses total applied power and the highest measured base temperature.
Engineering & Manufacturing Detail
A 6061 baseplate, aluminum fins and a controlled 0.1–0.2 mm adhesive bond line supported the thermal layout. Joint appearance and sampled pull-off checks passed after 100 cycles from −20 to 80 °C.
Discuss a multi-module layout with defined operating and acceptance conditions.
Review a Similar Drive ProjectMove from thermal requirements to a controlled BOM
Align engineering, procurement and quality around the same drawing revision, test conditions and release gates.
Stage 01
Define
Required Input
Share heat losses, source layout, operating temperatures, installation space and annual demand.
Deliverable Output
A reviewed requirement and boundary-condition list.
Stage 02
Engineer
Required Input
Compare cooling routes, confirm interfaces and complete DFM.
Deliverable Output
A proposed geometry, controlled drawing and agreed test plan.
Stage 03
Validate
Required Input
Build samples and evaluate thermal, dimensional and connection performance.
Deliverable Output
Test records, first-article results and approved corrections.
Stage 04
Release
Required Input
Confirm the pilot build, labeling, packaging and change control.
Deliverable Output
An approved BOM, production acceptance criteria and delivery plan.
Start with the information you have; we will identify the remaining inputs.
Start Your Engineering Review
Let's define the cooling solution for your next drive
Tell us what your power stage needs to dissipate, where it must fit and how it will operate. Morton will help turn those boundaries into a practical engineering starting point.
Air, liquid and hybrid cooling options
Build-to-print and joint development support
Prototype quantities starting from one unit
Test conditions and first-article documentation
Drawing revision and production change control
Discuss Your Thermal Project
Share a few details to start the engineering review.