Thermal Rescue: Save the Product Launch with a Last-Minute Heat Exchanger Redesign

Context

Your company, a mid-tier consumer electronics manufacturer, is eight weeks from mass production of a new premium wireless charging hub. During final thermal validation, the existing aluminum fin heat sink failed—the 45W charging coil hits 78°C at steady state, well above the 65°C limit that triggers thermal throttling and user complaints about "burning hot" surfaces.

The product manager is panicking. The tooling for the plastic enclosure is already cut. The retail launch window is locked. You've been pulled into an emergency design sprint to specify a compact liquid-cooled heat exchanger that fits within the existing enclosure envelope and can be sourced from your current supply chain. There's no time for custom extrusions or exotic materials—this needs to work with off-the-shelf tubing, standard pump modules, and processes your contract manufacturer in Shenzhen already runs.

Your Goal

Design a closed-loop liquid cooling system that maintains the charging coil cold plate below 60°C (with margin) at 45W continuous heat load in a 35°C ambient environment. Your solution must fit within the existing 140mm × 95mm × 22mm internal cavity, cost under $8.50 USD at 50k unit volumes, and be manufacturable using your CM's existing capabilities (CNC, stamping, brazing, standard injection molding).