Alloy adds copper capability to Stack Forging process
June 19, 2025
Alloy Enterprises, based in Burlington, Massachusetts, USA, has introduced a copper Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) solution for its Stack Forging digital fabrication process.
After digital slicing with Alloy’s proprietary software and laser-cutting the part design, the sheets are then metal-to-metal diffusion-bonded together to form a solid block. Once the support material is removed, the components are heat-treated. This Stack Forging process allows targeted liquid cooling where heat loads are highest; up to a tenfold reduction in pressure drops, enabling energy saving through the use smaller pumps; and single-piece construction that eliminates leak points that can be common in traditional liquid cooling systems.
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As chip power densities and thermal design power rise – pushing AI server rack power densities beyond 120 kW – traditional cooling methods are reaching their limits.
“Alloy Enterprises is setting a new standard in direct liquid cooling technology with our proprietary Stack Forging process,” said Ali Forsyth, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Alloy Enterprises. “We now deliver industry-leading thermal performance in both aluminium and copper, enabling higher rack densities, significant cost savings and greater sustainability. With 600 kW racks on the horizon, the shift to liquid cooling is no longer optional – it’s mission-critical.”
With the expansion to copper thermal solutions alongside its existing aluminium offerings, Alloy now provides cooling components that meet ASHRAE standards for chemical compatibility while enabling the extreme cooling demands of next-generation high-performance computing and high-density AI workloads.
Solving data centre energy challenges
In late 2024, strategy and consulting firm McKinsey reported that global data centre power could triple by 2023, with US data centres consuming nearly 12% of the country’s total electricity. At the same time, rack densities (i.e. the total power consumed by all IT equipment in a single server rack) have more than doubled in two years as AI workloads have intensified.
Alloy’s Stack Forged DLC components reportedly provide the thermal performance needed to meet these escalating demands in thermal design power. With the resultant pressure drop reduction, data centres can use 44°C (111.2°F) water and smaller pumps, eliminating the need for refrigerated HVAC systems. The result is a reduction in data centre energy consumption by up to 23%, improving both sustainability and profitability.
For hyperscalers and colocation providers, these efficiency gains may translate directly to increased revenue and reduced costs. More efficient cooling means more AI tokens can be sold with significantly lower energy costs. Additionally, Alloy’s thermal solutions can help maximise compute density per square foot, improve power usage effectiveness (PUE), and reduce total cost of ownership.
Sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing
Alloy uses a fully sustainable supply chain: 100% of copper and aluminium scrap generated during manufacturing is easily recycled, reinforcing the long-term environmental and economic value of smarter thermal design.
“Alloy’s copper line is already showing promising results in early customer deployments,” added Forsyth. “These components are hitting target thermal resistance thresholds while maintaining exceptional pressure drop performance, even in the most demanding rack configurations.”
Alloy is now shipping copper DLC cold plates and thermal components.
Those interested in learning more about Alloy’s copper manufacturing and advanced micro channel architecture in its ‘The Future of Liquid Cooling: Novel Microchannel Architecture for Lower Pressure Drop & Higher Thermal Performance’ white paper, available here.
