Copper coolers in automobiles are currently experiencing a renaissance after aluminium coolers dominated the market for a long time for price reasons. The reason for this is the use of IGBT modules in electric or hybrid-electric vehicles, which require very efficient heat dissipation for reliable operation. Amorphous copper-based brazing foils made of VITROBRAZE® make the production of such highly efficient copper coolers possible.
VITROBRAZE stands for 100% metallic brazing materials based on nickel, nickel-iron or copper – free of organic binders. The brazing foils are characterized by simple, uncomplicated processing as well as outstanding flow properties and uniform brazed joints of outstanding quality. They are ideally suited for flat, rectangular geometries with narrow cooling channels, without having to use flux or extract combustion gases from the organic binders. Thus, particularly compact and efficient coolers can be brazed in a health-friendly way.
The copper-based VITROBRAZE alloys VZ2250 and VZ2255 are primarily used for joining copper and brass heat exchangers in industrial and automotive applications. They are available as strip and can be adapted to the required geometry by cutting to length or punching. For use in automated production and assembly steps, preforms can be easily produced, reducing scrap and increasing production efficiency. In some cases it is also possible to replace expensive silver-containing brazing alloys with copper-based VITROBRAZE brazing foils. All this allows the construction of thermally high performant copper coolers at low manufacturing costs.
“The traditional market for copper coolers has been expanded to include IGBT coolers with the emerging of electric or hybrid electric vehicles. We are in contact with all major automotive suppliers worldwide and are already represented in the first models in IGBT coolers with our copper-based VITROBRAZE alloys”, says Dr. Julia Hahn, Product Manager for amorphous materials.