Gates Launches Self-Cooling 2100SS Pump for AI Server Racks

Gates Industrial Corporation introduced the ThermalCool 2100SS on November 12, 2026 — a stainless-steel coolant-circulation pump that cools its own motor with the coolant it moves. The company rates it at up to 200 liters per minute at 3 bar in a package compatible with a 4U rack enclosure.

The pump targets the rack-mounted coolant distribution unit, or CDU, which integrates coolant circulation inside an IT rack and feeds server cold plates. A typical 4U enclosure runs about 7 inches tall, 19 inches wide and 24 to 36 inches deep, according to Gates's ThermalCool engineering page. That box must hold at least two pumps, a heat exchanger, flanges and control electronics — while the loop's friction losses eat into the pressure the pump can deliver.

"We developed the ThermalCool 2100SS Pump in response to requirements from a leading CDU manufacturer, working as an engineering partner to address an emerging system need," said Rebekah Headley, general manager of data centers at Gates. The company built the design as a configurable platform, so it can serve other CDU architectures beyond the original customer's application.

How does the motor stay cool?

Integrated hoses route coolant around the 2100SS through a dedicated passage, stripping motor heat without exposing the bearings to the circulating fluid. The motor stays electrically dry, and the electronics remain isolated from the coolant. Because the pump's own working liquid handles motor cooling, Gates needs no separate cooling circuit or external fan.

The aluminum ThermalCool 2100 models, by contrast, rely on natural convection or forced air. Gates positions those for cost-conscious programs. The stainless version aims at tight enclosures and contamination-sensitive loops, where integrated motor cooling simplifies installation.

The 2100SS spec sheet carries hard numbers:

• Up to 95% of motor heat rejected to the working fluid
• Ambient temperature support up to 122°F (50°C)
• 48 VDC electrical platform and a 2.1-kilowatt motor
• Bracket-mounted footprint of 191 by 189 by 175 millimeters, at 21 pounds (9.4 kilograms)
• Maximum coolant temperature of 149°F (65°C)
• IP55 protection against dust and water ingress
• Rated pump life of 50,000 hours
• Open Compute Project (OCP)-compliant stainless-steel wetted materials

Those wetted materials suit water and PG25 secondary loops, and they help protect against corrosion and contamination before coolant reaches downstream hardware.

Where does the pump sit in the cooling loop?

The 2100 Series product page places the pump in the CDU's secondary circuit — it pushes coolant toward components such as cold plates, not the building's primary water infrastructure. Its hydraulic output is built to drive fluid through restrictive server circuits, fittings and other loop components. Configurable hydraulics and connections adapt to different CDU layouts, while CANBUS and MODBUS interfaces tie the pump into monitoring and control systems.

Parallel operation supports N+1 redundancy, which keeps coolant circulating when one pump goes out of service. Operators can also expand capacity by adding pumps. For retrofits, Gates says operators can add liquid-cooling capacity rack by rack without reworking facility water infrastructure. The electrical platform and control interfaces fit CDU platforms and controls already in place.

When can buyers get it?

The launch extends a Gates data-center range that already includes hoses, universal quick disconnects, fittings and engineered assemblies. The pump adds the active component that moves coolant through that fluid path — shifting Gates's role from rack-level connection and conveyance to circulation as well.

Gates expects global availability in early 2027 and is accepting sample requests and offering engineering consultations ahead of that date. Before broader rollout, the practical work is CDU-specific evaluation: matching the pump's hydraulic curve and connections to each enclosure, its pressure drop and its coolant.

For CDU builders squeezing liquid cooling into 4U of rack space, a pump that dumps its own motor heat into the working fluid could remove one of the last pieces of external plumbing from the enclosure — if the hydraulics match their loop.

By Amara Osei