GF Piping Systems (GF) has announced its enhanced commitment to the data center construction and renovation market with a suite of products and services that improve operational efficiency and reliability. GF has a long history of manufacturing sophisticated piping systems, and as data centers turn to more efficient liquid cooling methods, GF is introducing specific products and services that meet the increased demands of this market.

"Traditionally, Data Centers have used air cooling systems in one way or another," said Charles Freda, GF's data center practice lead in the Americas. "As compute loads have increased, so has the generation of heat that is hard to reject with air cooled solutions. As a result, stakeholders are turning to liquid cooling for a more energy efficient and cost effective means of maintaining critical operating temperatures. Thermoplastic engineered piping systems offer flexibility, enhanced speed to site and install, limited down time, weight reduction and lowering total cost of ownership. Coupled with GF‘s global footprint and our mission critical experience from chip to chiller, we are prepared to assist our clients and partners truly hyper scale from the plant to the white space."

Liquid cooling in Data Centers comes in several forms. Rack cooling and on-chip heat rejection are gaining popularity and require systems to reliably deliver fluid to the IT equipment. Liquid immersion cooling of servers is an emerging application and also requires systems that can effectively handle different fluids. Additionally, operators are seeking greater efficiencies in their overall HVAC systems for many reasons. GF offers engineered and custom piping solutions for liquid cooling and HVAC applications.

GF's new product, the COOL-FIT PE Plus piping system, is uniquely qualified for the challenging requirements of Data Center heat rejection applications. COOL-FIT PE Plus is a pre-insulated piping system that includes pre-insulated fittings and valves engineered to convey chilled water solutions without condensation. The three-in-one system, which includes a carrier pipe, insulation, and jacket, makes installation fast and easy compared to existing systems. Additionally, as a plastic, the system is significantly lighter than traditional systems. This allows for greater savings in buildouts resulting from minimized need for structural reinforcement.

GF has also tailored its services offering specifically for data centers, including an expansion of engineering services and fabrication services. "Our Engineering Services include design review and assistance, stress/flow/expansion calculation, bracketing and support guidance, VDC collaboration and documentation for as built and BIM inclusion" said Freda. "We're now manufacturing custom MEP modules that incorporate all piping system elements as well as prefabricated spools and skids per customer specification for quick installation onsite. Put this all together and the entire project team is able to accelerate construction and achieve the fast-track time tables they need."

"The data center industry has a long tradition of preferring metal systems," said James Jackson, GF's head of business unit Americas and the executive sponsor for data centers at GF. "With all of the advantages of COOL-FIT and other plastic piping systems now available and the suite of services GF offers, we see reason for the industry to make a shift. Plastic systems are 100% corrosion resistant, lightweight, and have a lower cost of maintenance."