GPU power draw has surpassed 1000 watts per processor, and air cooling can no longer keep pace. Conventional cooling hardware is built from machined and brazed cold plates, heat exchangers, and manifolds, which limits internal geometry to what a machine tool can cut and leaves every joint as a potential leak point.

Under the EU-backed AM2PC project, DTI worked with Heatflow ApS, OpenEngineering, and Fraunhofer IWU to design a monolithic aluminum evaporator for passive two-phase cooling, built on Nikon SLM Solutions’ SLM®280 platform. The internal wick structure was driven by multi-physics simulation data rather than manufacturing constraints, and the SLM®280’s stable process control let the team tune wick porosity for consistent two-phase performance. The result: 600 watts of cooling capacity in testing, 50 percent above the original 400-watt target, with no pumps or fans required.

The same principle, designing thermal structures around physics rather than machining limits, applies wherever power density is climbing: in power electronics, where compact components generate concentrated heat in tight spaces, and in aerospace, where weight and thermal performance both matter.

The Challenge

Rising GPU power density has pushed air cooling past its limits. Multi-part cooling hardware constrains geometry to what’s manufacturable rather than what’s thermally optimal, and every seam risks a leak. The team needed a single component whose internal geometry was dictated by fluid and heat flow physics.

The Solution

The consortium built the evaporator in aluminum on Nikon SLM Solutions’ SLM®280 platform using laser powder bed fusion. The platform’s open architecture let the team tune process parameters for filigree wick structures with defined, adjustable porosity, and producing the part as one piece eliminated assembly points and their associated leak risk. As Simon Brudler, Senior Consultant at DTI, said: “By 3D printing the component in aluminum, we can integrate all necessary functions into a single part. This eliminates assembly points, reduces the risk of leaks, and makes the component more reliable.”

The Impact

The evaporator reached 600 watts of cooling capacity, 50 percent above target, using a passive process that draws no active energy for heat removal. Heat is extracted at 60 to 80°C, warm enough for direct reuse in district heating or industrial processes. Single-material construction simplifies recycling, with early estimates pointing to a 25 to 30 percent reduction in emissions per unit.