Introduction

The rapid growth of AI computing is driving demand for higher-density data center infrastructure and more effective thermal management. As processor power consumption continues to rise, liquid cooling is becoming an increasingly important approach for removing heat from high-performance computing systems.

Within a liquid-cooling system, tubing is responsible for distributing, transporting, and collecting coolant. These components must operate reliably under pressure, vibration, and repeated temperature changes. Corrugated tubes are particularly demanding because their flexibility allows them to absorb vibration and thermal expansion, while their thin walls require highly controlled joining processes.

For corrugated tubes with wall thicknesses of approximately 0.1–0.5 mm, even small welding defects such as microcracks, incomplete fusion, or pores can become potential leakage paths after prolonged thermal cycling. In AI data centers, where a coolant leak can damage sensitive electronic equipment and interrupt critical computing operations, weld integrity is therefore a fundamental reliability requirement.

Han’s Laser has developed a liquid-cooling corrugated tube laser welding system designed to address these challenges with precise energy control, stable circumferential welding, visual positioning, and flexible tooling.

Why Corrugated Tube Welding Is So Challenging

Liquid-cooling tubing operates under demanding conditions that place strict requirements on welded joints.

Thin Walls Require Precise Heat Control

Corrugated tubes typically have very thin walls. Excessive heat input can cause deformation, burn-through, or changes in the geometry of the tube, while insufficient energy can result in incomplete fusion.

Laser welding concentrates energy precisely at the joint, helping minimize unnecessary heat input and reduce thermal deformation.

Leakage Prevention Is Critical

A welded joint in a liquid-cooling circuit must maintain its integrity over extended operating periods. Small pores, cracks, or areas of incomplete fusion may not immediately cause leakage but can become failure points under pressure and repeated thermal cycling.

A controlled laser welding process can produce dense, uniform welds with consistent penetration, supporting the sealing requirements of liquid-cooling components.

Complex Configurations Require Flexible Processing

Different data center architectures and coolant systems may use tubing with different diameters, wall thicknesses, corrugation pitches, and connector configurations.

This creates a need for laser welding equipment that can accommodate multiple product configurations without extensive equipment modification.

Laser Welding: A Precision Process for Liquid-Cooling Components

Laser welding offers several characteristics that make it well suited to thin-wall liquid-cooling components:

• Localized energy input helps reduce the heat-affected area.
• Non-contact processing eliminates electrode wear and mechanical contact at the weld point.
• Precise power control allows welding energy to be matched to thin-wall materials.
• Stable circumferential welding supports consistent sealing around tube connections.
• Automation compatibility enables integration with positioning, inspection, and production data systems.

By optimizing laser parameters and beam motion, manufacturers can achieve controlled fusion between the tube and connector while limiting unnecessary thermal impact on the surrounding structure.

Han’s Laser Liquid-Cooling Corrugated Tube Welding System

Han’s Laser’s dedicated system integrates an XYZ electric platform, fiber laser, wobble welding head, high-magnification industrial camera, rotary platform, and specialized fixtures.

The laser welding machine is designed for circumferential laser welding of corrugated tubes used in liquid-cooling systems, including components associated with servers and coolant distribution units (CDUs).

Its configuration focuses on four key requirements: precise positioning, controlled heat input, flexible welding, and process monitoring.

Copper-to-Copper Corrugated Tube Laser Welding

Stainless Steel-to-Stainless Steel Corrugated Tube Laser Welding

Precision Rotary Welding

The system uses a visual positioning process followed by rotary workpiece positioning and controlled circumferential welding.

Once the component is secured, the rotary platform provides controlled movement around the joint while the laser delivers precisely regulated energy.

Specialized profile fixtures can be replaced to accommodate different connector configurations, allowing manufacturers to switch between product variants more efficiently.

High-Magnification Vision Positioning

A high-magnification industrial camera provides precise visual alignment before welding.

The vision system helps identify the welding position and compensate for variations in workpiece placement, reducing dependence on manual positioning and improving repeatability between parts.

For production environments handling multiple specifications, accurate positioning is particularly important because small alignment errors can affect weld penetration and joint consistency.

Optional In-Process Weld Inspection

For applications requiring additional process control, the system can be equipped with an in-process inspection function.

The system can monitor welding conditions and help identify potential issues such as:

• Porosity
• Cracking
• Defocusing
• Incomplete welding

Early identification of abnormalities can help prevent defective components from progressing through production. Welding data can also be retained for process analysis and quality traceability.

High-Speed Wobble Welding for Assembly Tolerances

The welding head supports multiple beam oscillation patterns, including circular, figure-eight, infinity, and linear patterns.

Beam oscillation increases the effective laser spot area and improves tolerance to small assembly gaps. This makes the process more adaptable to complex liquid-cooling tube assemblies where dimensional variation and joint geometry can affect the welding process.

The wobble function also provides greater flexibility in controlling heat distribution across the joint.

Applications in AI and Data Center Liquid Cooling

The laser welder is particularly suited to components used in high-density thermal management systems, including:

Liquid-Cooled Servers

Corrugated tubes are used in coolant distribution and connection assemblies. Stable circumferential welding helps support reliable coolant circulation and long-term sealing performance.

Coolant Distribution Units

CDUs require reliable connections for distributing coolant between the facility cooling system and IT equipment. Precision welding can help maintain the integrity of these connections under continuous operating conditions.

Liquid-Cooling Manifolds and Tubing Assemblies

Manifolds, tubes, connectors, and other fluid-handling components often require different configurations and joining geometries. Flexible fixtures and programmable welding parameters allow the same platform to support multiple product designs.

A Broader Laser Welding Solution for Liquid Cooling

Corrugated tubes are only one part of a modern liquid-cooling system. As AI computing infrastructure becomes increasingly dependent on high-performance thermal management, other components also require reliable precision joining.

Han’s Laser can provide laser welding solutions for a range of liquid-cooling components, including:

• Liquid-cooling plates
• Corrugated tubes
• Coolant manifolds
• Water pipes
• Fluid connectors

These solutions can cover process development, equipment configuration, and automation integration, helping manufacturers develop a consistent welding strategy across multiple liquid-cooling components.

Conclusion

As AI computing pushes data center power density higher, liquid cooling is becoming increasingly important for maintaining stable system temperatures under sustained workloads. The reliability of every fluid connection becomes critical because leakage can compromise both equipment availability and system safety.

For thin-wall corrugated tubes, laser welding provides precise energy control, low thermal impact, flexible beam motion, and strong compatibility with automated manufacturing.

With its dedicated liquid-cooling corrugated tube laser welding system, Han’s Laser combines precision welding, visual positioning, flexible tooling, and optional in-process inspection to support reliable production of critical liquid-cooling components.

By improving weld consistency and process control, precision laser welding can help manufacturers build more reliable liquid-cooling systems for the next generation of AI data centers.