TAGS: #industrial automation #factory automation #control systems # PLC #DCS #liquid cooling #AI infrastructure
Scalable Cooling Solutions for Industrial Automation and Data Centers
Motivair by Schneider Electric has unveiled two new coolant distribution units (CDUs) designed to meet the increasing thermal demands of AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and industrial automation environments. These units, known as MCDU-45 and MCDU-55, provide scalable, energy-efficient cooling solutions for control systems, PLCs, DCS, and factory automation applications. By optimizing liquid cooling deployment, they enhance reliability and support diverse automation workloads.
Flexible Deployment Optimized for Control Systems
The new CDUs are the first purpose-built units for installation in utility corridors, offering data center operators flexible deployment options. This design enables better integration with existing control systems and PLC architectures while maintaining high performance across a range of factory automation and AI workloads. Therefore, operators can tailor cooling strategies for both legacy and next-generation industrial environments.
Enhanced Efficiency and Energy Savings
Motivair emphasizes that these CDUs streamline chiller plant optimization, reducing energy consumption while improving uptime and lowering operational costs. The MCDU-45 and MCDU-55 allow operators to leverage a wider range of chilled water temperatures, resulting in greater efficiency for both high-density HPC racks and industrial control system cabinets. As a result, factories and data centers experience cost-effective, sustainable operation.
Seamless Integration with HPC and AI Infrastructure
Modern industrial automation increasingly incorporates AI and HPC workloads, which demand precise thermal management. Motivair’s new CDUs integrate with advanced AI-driven control systems, ensuring reliable cooling for high-performance PLCs, DCS modules, and data analytics hardware. Moreover, the portfolio supports hyperscale, colocation, edge, and retrofit environments, allowing operators to adapt cooling capacity to workload demands.
Operational Benefits for Industrial Automation
Key advantages of the MCDU-45 and MCDU-55 include:
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Optimized space utilization for utility corridors and data centers
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Energy savings through efficient liquid cooling
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Simplified maintenance and accessibility
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Enhanced integration with existing chiller plants and control systems
These benefits improve uptime, extend the lifespan of automation hardware, and ensure consistent performance for critical factory operations.
Industry Insight: Liquid Cooling as a Strategic Component
In industrial automation, thermal management often limits the scalability of PLC and DCS deployments. Integrating liquid cooling early in infrastructure design reduces thermal risk, lowers total cost of ownership, and supports AI-ready control systems. Operators who plan cooling alongside automation strategies gain a competitive advantage in efficiency and reliability.
Application Scenarios for Industrial and AI Environments
1. Smart Manufacturing Facilities:
Liquid cooling stabilizes PLC and DCS performance in AI-enhanced production lines, enabling high-speed analytics without overheating.
2. Hybrid Control Rooms and Data Centers:
MCDUs provide flexible cooling for mixed workloads, supporting both factory automation and research-grade HPC clusters.
3. Retrofitting Legacy Automation Systems:
Existing industrial control rooms can adopt these CDUs to handle higher-density computing, modernizing thermal infrastructure without disrupting operations.