UFI Filters Group has consolidated its leading position in the automotive OEM thermal management sector, thanks to more than a decade of experience and innovation in the design, development, and production of water-cooled, vacuum-brazed aluminium heat exchangers. This advanced technological approach results in robust, efficient and clean products.
To date, UFI Filters offers seven different thermal management product lines, applicable to internal combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. Its investment in research and development has led the company to compete for the prestigious Automotive News PACE Pilot 2025 award, with its innovative CO2 (carbon dioxide) evaporator/chiller, distinguishing itself in the category of products for technological efficiency.
This innovative product utilises a stacked, vacuum-brazed plate structure that significantly improves structural strength, offering a solution capable of achieving performance that is difficult to achieve with existing micro-channel-based technologies. UFI Filters’ CO2 evaporator/chiller is particularly suited to new-generation vehicles, which require advanced thermal management to support larger batteries, faster recharging, and enhanced performance.
The CO2 cooler is designed to withstand extremely high burst pressure and pressure cycling requirements, while delivering higher power and lower pressure drop. UFI Filters’ heat exchangers play a crucial role in keeping battery temperatures within the optimal range, essential for efficient vehicle operation.
The heat exchange requirements of electric vehicles and PHEVs launched after 2027 are expected to be significantly higher than those of the first models introduced in recent years. Based on UFI’s research and interactions with OEMs and Tier-1 thermal management systems, micro-channel evaporators will not be able to keep up with this growing demand. In parallel, the PFAS ban in Europe is expected to be implemented from 2029, forcing carmakers to switch to alternatives such as CO2. UFI’s CO2 evaporator solution will be available on the market at the right time and in the right place.
This innovation was developed in response to increasingly stringent environmental regulations, which require the replacement of traditional refrigerants with more environmentally friendly alternatives such as CO2 or propane. The refrigerant gas R744, composed of CO2, is a sustainable alternative to fluorinated refrigerants, being natural, non-toxic, and non-flammable, with minimal environmental impact and zero ozone depletion potential. In addition, R744 offers better energy performance and an economic advantage, as carbon dioxide is widely available.
With these innovations, UFI Filters positions itself as a key player in the future of thermal management for the automotive industry, contributing to the development of increasingly sustainable and efficient solutions.
