Heat Pipe Performance Testing Machine
Automatic heat pipe performance testing machine: 6-station, 250 pcs/hr, 90W max power, 15×15mm heater, 2D/3D stackable, LabView, horizontal + vertical.
Product Description
A heat pipe that passes leak testing and passes dimensional inspection is still not a verified heat pipe — it is a sealed copper tube with working fluid inside. The only way to confirm that the sintered wick, working fluid charge, and vacuum level are all correct is to measure the heat pipe’s thermal performance under controlled, repeatable test conditions. thermalmachiney’s Automatic Heat Pipe Performance Testing Machine is the Step 11 quality gate of the complete heat pipe production line — the machine that measures Qmax, thermal resistance (R-value), and ΔT of every heat pipe before it leaves the production line, at 250 pieces per hour, across the full range of 2D and 3D heat pipe geometries used in CPU coolers, laptop thermal modules, server cooling assemblies, and AI thermal management systems.
Technical Parameters
| Specification | Standard Model | Advanced Model |
|---|---|---|
| Workstations | 6 stations | 6 stations |
| Production Capacity | 250 pcs/hr | 240 pcs/hr (≤60s/test) |
| Max Test Power | 90 ± 0.25W | ≤ 200W |
| Heating End Size | 15 × 15 × 30 mm | 15 × 130 × 150 mm |
| Cooling Area | — | 27 × 130 × 150 mm |
| Maximum Test Area | 70 × 170 mm | — |
| Heat Source | Single heat source | Single heat source |
| Temperature Points | 3+1 (hot plate) / 2+1 (heat pipe) | 3 measurement points |
| Test Angles | Horizontal, vertical | Horizontal, vertical |
| Test Pressure | Air pressure adjusted | — |
| Test Shape | 2D stackable | 2D, 3D |
| Cooling System | — | 5L/min, 25–40°C, ±1°C |
| Flowmeter | — | ≤ 250 CC/min (controllable) |
| Software | — | LabView |
| Pipe Diameter | Ø5 – Ø10 mm | Ø5 – Ø10 mm |
| Pipe Length | ≤ 500 mm | ≤ 500 mm |
| Applicable Shapes | 2D, 3D | 2D, 3D |
| Voltage / Power | 220V × 1φ × 8 kW | 220V × 1φ × 8 kW |
| Dimensions | 1,725 × 1,080 × 1,650 mm | 2,000 × 1,200 × 1,600 mm |
| Weight | — | 700 kg |
What the Heat Pipe Performance Testing Machine Measures — Qmax, Thermal Resistance, and ΔT Explained
Qmax — Maximum Heat Transport Capacity
Qmax is the maximum power (in Watts) that a heat pipe can transport from its evaporator section to its condenser section without dry-out — without the sintered wick running out of liquid working fluid at the evaporator due to insufficient capillary pumping force to return condensed fluid from the condenser. In production testing, Qmax is determined by stepwise increasing the heater power at the evaporator end while monitoring the evaporator temperature: Qmax is reached when the evaporator temperature rises sharply (indicating dry-out onset) rather than increasing proportionally with power. The standard model’s 90W test power and the advanced model’s 200W test power define the maximum Qmax that can be characterised — appropriate for the 5–50W Qmax range of standard Ø4–Ø8mm sintered wick heat pipes used in electronics cooling.
Thermal Resistance (R-value)
Thermal resistance R = ΔT / Q — the temperature difference between the evaporator and condenser divided by the heat power applied. R is the single number that quantifies how effectively a heat pipe moves heat: lower R means better thermal performance. In production testing, R is measured at the rated test power (not at Qmax) — the thermal resistance under the normal operating condition the heat pipe will experience in its application. The advanced model’s 3 temperature measurement points (at precisely defined locations on the evaporator, adiabatic, and condenser sections) enable the R calculation with the spatial resolution required for server and AI cooling heat pipe qualification.
ΔT — Temperature Difference
ΔT (delta T) is the temperature difference between the heater block (simulating the CPU or component heat source) and the condenser end (simulating the heat sink or cold plate). In production testing, ΔT is the pass/fail criterion: each heat pipe is tested at the defined test power, and units where ΔT exceeds the specified maximum are rejected. The machine’s automatic OK/NG judgement function applies this criterion at full production speed — 250 pieces per hour — without operator interpretation, eliminating inter-operator variability from the quality gate.
A heat pipe that fails the performance test is a heat pipe that will fail in the customer’s product. Catching it at Step 11 costs one heat pipe. Missing it costs a field return, a warranty claim, and a customer relationship.
Applications
- CPU cooler heat pipes (Ø6–Ø8mm, 2D flat, 5–35W Qmax): Standard (90W, 250pcs/hr) — ΔT at rated power, Qmax, R-value
- Laptop thermal modules (Ø4–Ø6mm, 3D, ultra-thin): Standard (2D/3D stackable) — ΔT auto-OK/NG, 60s cycle
- High-performance laptop (Ø6mm, multi-bend 3D, 30–50W): Advanced (200W, LabView) — Full R-value curve, Qmax, data log
- Server rack cooling (Ø8–Ø10mm, 3D, 50–150W Qmax): Advanced (200W, cooling water) — R-value at multiple power levels
- AI server / GPU cooling (Ø8–Ø10mm, 80–200W): Advanced (200W, LabView + flowmeter) — Full thermal characterisation, traceability
- EV battery thermal management (Ø6–Ø10mm, custom 3D): Advanced (LabView data export) — R-value certification data
- Mixed production line (multiple OD/geometry): Standard (quick changeover) — Per-product OK/NG limit setting
FAQ
What is the difference between the Standard Model and the Advanced Model?
The Standard Model (90W, 250 pcs/hr, air-cooled, 15×15mm heater) covers the production testing requirements of the mainstream heat pipe market: CPU cooler heat pipes (5–35W Qmax range), standard laptop heat pipes (Ø4–Ø6mm, 2D/3D), and mid-range thermal module applications. The Advanced Model (200W, LabView, recirculating cooling water at 25–40°C ±1°C, flowmeter, 15×130mm heater) is required when: (1) the heat pipe Qmax exceeds 90W (server, AI, or high-TDP laptop applications); (2) the test specification requires full thermal characterisation data for customer qualification, not just OK/NG sorting; (3) precise cooling water temperature control is required for accurate R-value measurement at elevated test power.
Can the machine test both 2D and 3D heat pipes without tooling change?
Yes — both models support 2D and 3D heat pipe testing using the same fixture set. The 2D stackable test geometry of the standard model and the fixture design of the advanced model accommodate the range of 2D and 3D bent geometries produced by Cooling-Thermal’s Automatic Bending Machine (Step 8). For production lines running both 2D (flat/U-shape) and 3D (multi-bend) heat pipes on the same performance testing station, the test fixture includes adjustable positioning for the different bend geometries. Changeover between product types is achieved by repositioning the adjustable fixture elements — no tooling replacement required.
What does 'no thermal conductive adhesive required' mean for production efficiency?
Traditional heat pipe test methods required thermal conductive adhesive (thermal grease or adhesive compound) between the heat pipe and the heater block to ensure adequate thermal contact for accurate measurement. Applying and cleaning adhesive adds 30–60 seconds to each test cycle — a significant throughput penalty at production scale — and introduces measurement variability from inconsistent adhesive application thickness. Cooling-Thermal’s advanced model performance testing machine achieves reliable thermal contact through precision fixture clamping pressure (applied by the programmable power supply system and controlled contact pressure mechanism) without adhesive — eliminating the application time, the cleanup cycle, and the measurement variability from adhesive inconsistency.
How is the test power calibrated to match our heat pipe specification?
During commissioning at your facility, Cooling-Thermal’s engineers set the test power, temperature measurement point locations, and OK/NG ΔT limits against your heat pipe’s actual thermal specification — the Qmax and thermal resistance targets defined by your customer’s thermal design. The advanced model’s programmable power supply allows test power to be set in precise increments from the LabView interface; the standard model’s test power is set during commissioning and verified with calibrated reference heat pipes. All parameter settings are documented and included in the commissioning sign-off package for your quality system records.