APEC 2026 in Shenzhen: A New Chapter for AI, Cooling and Energy Storage
When Shenzhen hosts APEC 2026, the world's attention will turn to a city that has become the manufacturing heart of China's electronics and new-energy supply chain. Behind the diplomatic agenda sits a far more concrete industrial story: the explosive growth of artificial intelligence computing, the shift from air cooling to liquid cooling in data centers, and the global build-out of grid-scale energy storage. All three trends converge on one demand — precision metal joining at industrial scale — and that is exactly where laser welding technology proves its value.
AI Demand Is Rewriting Data Center Thermal Design
Generative AI has pushed rack power density from a few kilowatts to well over 100 kW per cabinet. Air cooling simply cannot remove that much heat, so hyperscalers and server OEMs are moving quickly to direct-to-chip liquid cooling and immersion cooling. Every cold plate, manifold, quick disconnect and coolant distribution unit (CDU) is an assembly of aluminium and copper joints that must remain leak-free through a decade of continuous operation.
- Aluminium cold plates with internal micro-channels require hermetic seam welding with minimal thermal distortion
- Copper and aluminium manifolds demand reliable dissimilar-metal joining without excessive intermetallic growth
- Coolant piping and CDU enclosures must pass pressure and helium leak tests with zero spatter inside the flow path
- High-mix, low-volume production calls for fast changeover between SKUs and repeatable recipes
Energy Storage: Weld Quality Defines Cycle Life
Grid-scale and commercial and industrial energy storage systems are multiplying across Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Inside a modern battery pack, hundreds of prismatic or cylindrical cells are connected by aluminium and copper busbars, and each joint carries the full current of the module. A single weak weld raises internal resistance, generates local heat and shortens the life of the entire pack. Laser welding delivers the narrow heat-affected zone, high speed and consistent penetration depth that battery manufacturers need, and the same technology is used to seal stainless and aluminium ESS enclosures to IP65 and beyond.
Where Laser Welding Makes the Difference
| Application | Typical Material | Laser Process | Customer Benefit |
|---|
| AI server cold plate | Aluminium 3003 / 6061 | Fiber laser seam welding | Hermetic seal with low distortion |
| Liquid cooling manifold | Aluminium and copper | Fiber laser welding of dissimilar joints | Leak-free performance at high pressure |
| Battery busbar and tab | Copper, aluminium | Continuous fiber laser welding | Low resistance, high throughput |
| Cylindrical cell module | Nickel-plated steel, copper | High-speed spot and seam welding | Stable penetration, minimal spatter |
| ESS cabinet and enclosure | Stainless steel, aluminium | Robotic seam welding cell | IP-rated sealing, repeatable quality |
| Power electronics housing | Aluminium die-cast | Laser welding with wire feed | Porosity control and cosmetic finish |
HAILEILASER: Two Decades of Custom Laser Equipment
HAILEILASER is not a newcomer riding a single trend. For more than twenty years the company has designed and built laser equipment for manufacturers who cannot solve their problem with a catalogue product. From stand-alone fiber laser welding machines to fully automated robotic welding cells with vision positioning, real-time weld monitoring and MES connectivity, every system is engineered around the customer's part geometry, material mix and cycle-time target. In-house optical design, fixture development, motion control and software teams allow HAILEILASER to deliver genuine non-standard (custom) machinery rather than a slightly modified standard model.
- 20+ years of laser equipment R&D and manufacturing experience
- Complete in-house chain: laser source integration, optics, fixtures, automation and software
- Proven process know-how in aluminium, copper, stainless steel and dissimilar metal combinations
- Sample testing and process validation on customer parts before shipment
- Global installation, operator training and long-term after-sales support
Looking Ahead to APEC 2026
As delegations gather in Shenzhen, the conversation will be about cooperation, open trade and the next wave of technology. For manufacturers serving AI infrastructure, liquid cooling and energy storage, the practical question is simpler: can your welding process keep pace with your product roadmap? HAILEILASER invites partners attending APEC 2026 — and those following the same trends from Europe, North America and Southeast Asia — to visit our facility, bring sample parts and validate a laser welding process on real hardware.
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