From Worcestershire to Singapore, Excool is expanding to accommodate the data center revolution
Since 2010, Excool has been a trailblazer in the data center cooling industry. Originally, the company was responsible for the development of a groundbreaking cooling solution in response to the 2008 broadening of the ASHRAE recommended server inlet temperature envelope. Today, its product line extends across multiple cooling solutions designed to meet the increasing IT demands driven by high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI). Excool’s innovative approach continues to set new standards in the industry, as the company leads with the most advanced cooling technologies available. Around 18 months after the company’s last feature in Manufacturing Today, Jake Roberts Chief Commercial Officer, joins us to recap Excool’s latest endeavours.
“When we last spoke, we discussed our future plans as we had started to expand more globally. Since then, I am proud to share that we have successfully
incorporated operations in both Singapore and Malaysia. We view the Asia-Pacific region as a significant growth area for us, as we have already delivered a couple of large projects there. Similarly, we are either delivering or in the process of completing what may be our largest projects to date in the US. Moreover, we have established a new office in Atlanta, Georgia, which we are slowly ramping up as we move forward. In terms of our product portfolio, we have further expanded it to include a diverse range of cooling distribution units (CDUs) and chillers, featuring both scroll and screw compressor models. Additionally, we are developing a fan stack system that will be launched shortly,” he opens.
As the data center market continues to grow thanks to the popularity of AI, Excool is dedicated to developing products that support the cooling needs of data center servers. “With the increasing demand for AI in data centers, traditional air cooling methods alone cannot effectively remove the amount of heat generated by high-performance servers, such as those utilizing NVIDIA chips. To address this challenge, we have developed a range of solutions that use liquid to efficiently dissipate heat from the chips, rather than just relying on air. We believe that our offerings are unique in the marketplace, aligning with the industry’s direction for future cooling solutions. In addition to our CDUs, we are also developing chillers that will provide cooled water to data center environments, effectively managing the high thermal loads produced by advanced computing systems,” Jake adds.
Reflecting further on the explosive trend toward AI in data centers, Jake reveals how this is impacting Excool’s operations and the industry as a whole. “This transformation has been significant for our sector, especially over the last 18 months to two years. Having worked in the data industry for over 20 years, I have never witnessed a change quite like this. The speed at which new AI chips are being developed and deployed seems to be taking everyone by surprise, with demand for equipment to cool them down far exceeding the manufacturing capabilities of businesses around the world. As a result, Excool and many others in the industry are incredibly busy at the moment.”
In this ever-evolving landscape, the direct-to-chip liquid cooling process remains the best solution for high-density computing applications, according to Jake. “Air has its limitations in terms of the amount of heat it can effectively take away. Liquid is much more efficient for heat removal and is even one of the most effective methods for managing heat, especially when the liquid is positioned as close to the chip as possible. Another approach is fully immersed cooling, where the entire chips and circuit boards are submerged in a dielectric fluid. While this method is also highly efficient, it has some downsides, such as requiring a lot of space and being somewhat messy. Furthermore, because it is still a niche solution, it can be quite expensive. In contrast, our direct-to-chip method seems to offer the best of both worlds at the moment.”
Excool’s solutions are not only exceptionally efficient but also prioritize sustainability in an industry often criticized for its environmental impact. “Our cooling products for data centers utilize a closed-loop water system designed to minimize water consumption while using water directly at the data center for cooling. For instance, with just one gallon of water used in our units, we achieve nearly 100 percent efficiency in evaporating that water to remove heat. In contrast, if that same gallon of water were used at a power generation plant to power a non-adiabatic cooling solution, it would only be about 60-to-65 percent efficient. Therefore, our method represents one of the most effective uses of water in the cooling process. As we move forward, all our solutions will continue to be designed with energy efficiency and sustainability as top priorities. With data centers growing larger, the demand for power is increasing exponentially. Consequently, any measures we can implement to reduce the power consumption of our cooling systems has a direct effect on the overall power usage of the data center and the industry as a whole,” Jake elaborates.
Another way that the rise of high-performance computers has enabled sustainability in data centers is the high-temperature, 45-degree coolant coming back from the chips is much more effective than the previous 30-degree coolant in heat reuse. Combined with heat pump technology, this reclaimed heat can be used to heat nearby commercial and residential buildings, provide temperature regulation for greenhouse and farming applications, or even simply melting ground ice and snow in Nordic countries during winter to make roads and pavements safer for users.
In the past year and a half, Excool has been committed to growing its international presence through investments in new factories and offices in Asia and the US. At the same time, the company is dedicated to strengthening its global operations by adopting Smart Factory technologies. “We have notably increased our staffing levels in the Asia Pacific region, as well as in the US. However, one significant factor impacting us is the tariffs being imposed on imports into the US, which has led us to seriously consider whether we should open a production or manufacturing facility in the country. These are the major factors we are currently evaluating as we move forward. Moreover, we are collaborating with major AI chip manufacturers to become approved suppliers of the CDUs for their chips. To support our customers and our growth, we use AI and smart techniques throughout our process, starting from the very early R&D designs. Most of this technology is integrated into the software we use to create the sequence of operations for our units. This software continuously monitors both outside air temperature and inside air temperature, managing the unit’s performance to give our customers the best efficiency at any given time. Additionally, we are exploring different types of automated production within our facility in Bromsgrove, near Birmingham. Nonetheless, the majority of our smart technologies are focused on the design and software of the units,” Jake informs.
Grace Williams, Global Events and Marketing Manager, closes the conversation by discussing Excool’s training and apprenticeship programs. “Within our factory, we emphasize training and development, always upskilling our team. We promote from within both the factory and the office. For example, our current Production Director, Lee, started as a temp ten years ago, which demonstrates our commitment to internal promotion, investment in our team, and retention of our talent. In fact, most of our workforce is homegrown from the factory where we manufacture our chillers and indirect adiabatic units. We also employ apprentices when possible, though we cannot always do so due to business needs and standards. Even if it is not always possible, we strive to provide opportunities for apprenticeships with the Excool team,” she ends.
By expanding its global footprint and investing in cutting-edge technologies, Excool is poised to empower data centers to meet the surging demand for high-performance computing.