Engineer’s Guide to Hyperscale Network Material Applications

This paper addresses current and upcoming trends and material science design challenges for Hyperscale Networks. As processing power and IoT/IoE (Internet of Things/Internet of Everything) continue to evolve, Hyperscale applications will be vital to societal and consumer needs.

Boyd engineered material solutions address these challenges with key manufacturing innovations that increase compute density in the same footprint, lower the total cost of data center ownership, and improve efficiency and reliability across all systems levels.

This article will aid engineers in understanding the role of material applications to improve system development and foster design creativity.

User Safety

• Decibel level must be maintained at a safe volume
• Equipment must be organized and with appropriate safety labels
• Systems must be Electrically Insulated, Leak and Waterproof, and with Shock Prevention
• Fail-safes to protect technicians like fingerguards, grounds and electrical barriers are a must

Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH)

• Mitigate NVH and damp mechanical vibration to minimize product wear, extend lifetimes, increase reliability, and reduce susceptibility to read/write errors

Connectivity

• Protect advanced electronics susceptible to electromagnetic interference with EMI/RFI Shields and Absorbers
• Minimize LED cross talk in user and technician interfaces

Dust, Fluid, Particle Ingress

• Components must be sealed and protected from contaminant ingress for longer lifetimes and higher reliability

Branding and Component Tracking

• Custom, Standard, or Serialized Labels, Graphics and Membrane Switches protect branding, communicate regulatory and safety information, direct organization, and assist in maintenance tracking

Excess Heat, Airflow Management, Air Blockers

• Thermal management prevents overheating or degradation in performance with Airflow Management and Air Blockers optimizing thermal system efficiency

One of the biggest challenges in Hyperscale is how to handle the additional heat load and thermal density caused by increased processing power and next generation equipment. Thermal Management systems for Hyperscale must manage the higher heat load without increasing volume or weight. To meet the need for higher performance cooling in more compact forms, Boyd develops modular and custom Hyperscale cooling systems to optimize thermal management for any specification. Systems leverage Boyd’s decades of design and development expertise in liquid, air, and two-phase cooling to enable higher performing, integrated systems that extend the performance levels of traditional air cooling and help you safely transition to liquid cooling when appropriate.

Overall Environmental & Use Considerations

Cloud data center installations are growing fast with accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) integrating smart functionality and connectivity across most industries. The demand for connectivity between devices and internal electronics has created an increase in the amount of electromagnetic interference and LED cross talk within a server, a data center chassis, and to a larger extent the data center farm. However, EMI “noise” is not the only noise to consider in a hyperscale network environment. As hyperscale compute becomes more robust, technicians and service providers work for longer periods of time surrounded by hundreds of data center chassis that increase noise to harmful levels. Reducing decibel levels to a safe volume for data center technicians is key. In addition to overall technician wellbeing, equipment wellbeing is also dependent on the environment. Precisely controlled data center environments can mitigate humidity, contaminants, and electrical issues for longer life, less maintenance, higher reliability, and more uptime.

Dust, fluid, and contaminants are often top causes of electronic malfunction and data centers are no exception. Ingress protection gaskets and seals featured in and around ports, openings, seams, and doors in server blades, racks and chassis extend application lifetime and reduce maintenance expenses by preventing foreign particle contamination and sealing out moisture. Boyd’s protective gaskets are often accompanied by high performance 3M pressure sensitive adhesives to aid in assembly efficiency and assure gaskets remain securely in place.

Air filters also play a significant role in protecting sensitive internal server rack equipment as part of the cooling solution. Dust accumulation decreases air cooling system efficiency and total device performance. The incoming air in an air cooled system must be cleansed before use in sensitive internal systems. Air filters are often made of woven mesh or reticulated foam to remove contaminants from intake air and prevent fouling in the application. This decreases the chance of fire hazards, shortages, or performance degradation.

Heat is an unavoidable byproduct of electronic device operation. More high-power electronics in compact applications placed in close proximity increases heat load. Hyperscale applications and data centers are prime examples of increasing thermal, power, and compute density. In addition to increasing processing power and number of servers and racks in a data center, equipment and component manufacturers continue to find innovative ways to pack more high-power components in increasingly compact geometries to deliver greater functionality and better latency performance for expanding data consumption requirements.

Excessive heat damages internal components, causes applications to perform poorly or fail, shortens lifespan, decreases reliability, puts technicians at risk for heat-related injuries, and acts as a bottleneck to compute innovation. For more information on high thermal performance, integrated cooling systems for Hyperscale, Cloud Compute, and Enterprise such as liquid, air, immersion, or two phase cooling, visit boydcorp.com.

Thermal systems must directly interface with data center heat sources to extract and exhaust heat. Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) act in this capacity, quickly absorbing and transferring heat from a heat source to the cooling system or ambient environment. Air gaps and pockets are thermal blockers or insulators. TIMs reduce the air gaps and pockets between a heat source, like a processor, and its cooling solution, like a heat sink, vapor chamber, or cold plate, to maximize cooling efficiency and capacity. Proper thermal interface materials lessen the thermal resistance between the heat source and cooling solution, enabling more efficient and effective cooling.

3M offers light weight, high efficiency TIM solutions for faster assembly, improved device reliability, and extended electronic component lifespan. TIMs like 3M™ Thermally Conductive Acrylic Interface Pads and tapes are ideal for designs with smaller spacing requirements or larger format challenges. These materials can increase server rack component lifetimes up to double by reducing the temperature by -10⁰C.

For data center applications that are air cooled, optimizing the use and distribution of cooled air and management of hot exhaust air improves data center energy efficiency and thermal system performance. Air blockers made of SOLIMIDE® polyimide foam block high temperature exhaust from sensitive environments. Air leak sealing and air gap fillers prevent the loss of cool air, remove design pockets that trap cool or hot air, and connect internal airflow pathways. Air baffle assemblies commonly feature flame rated FR V-0 electrically insulating materials that are thermoformed or folded into airflow management channels that alter the flow of air inside the server to most efficiently direct cold air to heat source dissipators like heat sinks. Engineered Material solutions maximize air cooling system efficiency and thermal performance by optimizing the management of hot and cold air within a server.

The importance of an easy user experience is often underestimated in networking applications where trained individuals interact with equipment and automation. However, optimized Human Machine Interfaces and improved easy-to understand safety and instruction labels create a better user experience for greater efficiency with reduced user error.

Backlighting switches and displays are a cost-effective way to enhance usability, decrease user error, and improve aesthetics. Backlit switches and overlays quickly guide technicians and users to correct device operation, especially in dimly lit or dark environments.

Bezel branding, nameplates, logos, labels, switches, graphic overlays, and trim provide an important visual and tactile user experience that differentiates Hyperscale equipment while increasing maintenance efficiency. Data centers and hyperscale facilities may house servers and chassis from multiple manufacturers. Optimized front and back panel graphic overlays, input/output port labels, system information labels, and user interfaces save time by clearly identifying unique maintenance steps and custom requirements to your design. On specification branding reduces errant warranty claims from facility managers.

Boyd can convert any decorative or informational label into a multifunctional solution by printing onto one of many 3M materials with special properties such as EMI shielding, electrical insulation, and thermal shielding. User interface solutions can feature FR V-0 rated substrates, high temperature resistant UL 969 compliant materials, deadfront windows visible only when backlit, and highly complex die cut geometries with tight tolerance and registration control.