The video offers an in-depth tour of Thermal Grizzly’s German factory, showcasing their highly automated and precise manufacturing processes for premium water cooling blocks, including advanced CNC milling, water jet cutting, and five-axis machining. It highlights the company’s commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation through meticulous production, rigorous testing, and thoughtful design of high-performance cooling solutions.
The video provides an in-depth factory tour of Thermal Grizzly, a German company renowned for producing some of the highest precision water cooling blocks in the world. Located near Berlin, the factory specializes in manufacturing water blocks with incredibly thin slots, some as narrow as 0.1 mm, a capability unique in the water cooling industry. The tour is led by Roman, also known as Der8auer, who previously showcased the company’s thermal paste and liquid metal production. The video highlights the highly automated manufacturing processes, which minimize manual labor and enable the company to produce moderate volumes of products domestically in Germany despite high production costs.
The tour begins with an overview of the CNC milling machines used to craft the water blocks from large copper plates. The process involves precise cutting, milling, and quality control to ensure perfect flatness and height for optimal thermal contact. The factory uses advanced vacuum tables and measurement machines capable of detecting differences as small as 0.2 micrometers. The production is highly machine-intensive, with multiple machines operated by a single technician, emphasizing efficiency and precision. The acrylic covers for the blocks are also milled in-house, with careful dust management to maintain cleanliness.
Next, the video explores the water jet cutter and bending machines used for fabricating parts of a bench table, showcasing the versatility of the factory’s equipment. The water jet cutter operates at extremely high pressure, using abrasive materials to precisely cut aluminum sheets within seconds. The bending machine then shapes these cut pieces to the desired angles. The factory balances in-house production with outsourcing depending on demand, allowing flexibility in manufacturing volumes. The video also highlights the energy-efficient systems in place, such as heat recovery from compressors used to heat the building, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability.
Further insights reveal the detailed manufacturing of contact frames and the importance of precision in every step. The factory employs a five-axis milling machine for the most delicate operations, including creating the intricate slots in water blocks. These tools are expensive and fragile but essential for achieving the high-performance cooling solutions Thermal Grizzly is known for. The company also uses laser engraving to add serial numbers to each block for quality tracking. Assembly includes cleaning, tempering, and pressure testing each water block to ensure leak-proof performance before final packaging.
The video concludes with a look at the design and prototyping process, including the creation of innovative fittings and pump reservoir designs. The design team uses CAD software to optimize manufacturability alongside aesthetics and functionality. Complex parts, such as a one-piece glass pump reservoir, demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship but also highlight challenges in production time and cost. Overall, the video showcases Thermal Grizzly’s dedication to precision engineering, automation, and quality control, providing a unique educational glimpse into the making of premium water cooling components “Made in Germany.”