Revolutionizing AI Cooling: Alloy Enterprises’ Metal Stacks Tackle Data Center Heat Challenges
In March 2025, Nvidia unveiled its Rubin series of GPUs, signaling a significant leap in computational power. The forthcoming Ultra variant, slated for a 2027 release, is projected to consume up to 600 kilowatts per rack—nearly double the energy drawn by some of today’s fastest electric vehicle chargers. This surge in power consumption presents a formidable challenge: effectively dissipating the immense heat generated by these high-performance components.
Addressing this critical issue, Alloy Enterprises has introduced an innovative solution centered around advanced metal cooling plates. These plates are designed to manage the thermal output not only of GPUs but also of peripheral components such as memory modules and networking hardware, which collectively account for approximately 20% of a server’s cooling requirements.
Ali Forsyth, co-founder and CEO of Alloy Enterprises, highlighted the escalating importance of comprehensive cooling solutions. Previously, with racks operating at 120 kilowatts, the peripheral components’ heat output was less concerning, Forsyth explained. However, as we approach racks consuming 480 to 600 kilowatts, it’s imperative to implement liquid cooling systems for all components, including RAM and networking chips, for which existing solutions are inadequate.
Alloy Enterprises employs a unique manufacturing technique known as stack forging, a form of additive manufacturing that constructs objects layer by layer. This method produces cold plates capable of fitting into compact spaces while enduring the high pressures associated with liquid cooling systems.
Unlike traditional 3D printing, Alloy’s process involves bonding sheets of metal using a combination of heat and pressure. While this approach is more costly than conventional machining, it remains more economical than 3D printing. The outcome is a seamless, solid metal cold plate devoid of the seams found in machined products and the porosity often present in 3D-printed versions. Forsyth emphasized, We achieve raw material properties; the copper maintains the same strength as if it had been machined.
Traditional cold plates are typically produced through machining, a process that carves out features using large tools. This necessitates machining each half of the plate separately, followed by sintering—a method that fuses metal powders using heat—to join the halves. This process introduces seams that may leak under high pressure. In contrast, Alloy’s stack forging technique creates seamless cold plates, enhancing reliability.
The stack forging process also allows for the creation of finer features, down to 50 microns—approximately half the width of a human hair. This precision enables more efficient coolant flow, resulting in a 35% improvement in thermal performance compared to competitors, according to Forsyth.
Due to the complexities of stack forging, Alloy Enterprises manages most of the internal design process. Clients provide key specifications and dimensions, which the company’s software translates into designs compatible with their manufacturing process.
In Alloy’s production facility, rolls of copper are prepared and cut to size. Features are then laser-cut, and areas not intended to bond are coated with an inhibitor. Once completed, each layer of the cold plate is aligned and stacked before undergoing diffusion bonding—a process that uses heat and pressure to fuse the stacked layers into a single, solid piece of metal.
Forsyth revealed that Alloy Enterprises is collaborating with major players in the data center industry, though specific partnerships remain confidential.
Initially, the company designed its technology for a widely used aluminum alloy. However, as interest from data centers grew, they adapted the process to work with copper, which offers superior thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. Following the product’s announcement in June, Forsyth noted, Interest surged dramatically.
As data centers continue to evolve, managing the heat generated by increasingly powerful hardware becomes paramount. Alloy Enterprises’ innovative approach to cooling offers a promising solution to this pressing challenge, potentially setting a new standard in thermal management for high-performance computing environments.
