Heat exchangers and components manufactured to customer specifications
Heat exchangers are a key component in ensuring that industrial processes run as reliably and energy-efficiently as possible. Achieving this often requires high pressures and temperatures, as well as specialized materials. This makes heat exchangers and their components highly sophisticated pressure vessels that must be designed, manufactured, and documented in accordance with clear regulations and specific customer specifications. That’s what we specialize in!
Shell-and-tube heat exchanger
Shell-and-tube heat exchangers in “U-tube,” “floating head,” or “fixed plate” configurations are a core competency that we have continuously expanded over the past decades. This involves both the ongoing improvement of manufacturing processes and the design and documentation processes. Despite certain standards, the variety of configurations is enormous, as each heat exchanger is optimized for its specific requirements. This is particularly evident in the wide range of materials, all of which must be processed differently.
Tube bundle
Tube bundles are the core component of every shell-and-tube heat exchanger and are often subject to increased wear and tear. For this reason, it is standard practice to replace only the tube bundle in order to restore the operational capability of the entire heat exchanger. The manufacture of these replacement tube bundles in all variants and material combinations has therefore become our absolute specialty.
Finned-tube air cooler
Finned-tube air coolers are primarily designed to efficiently transfer heat from a liquid or gaseous medium to the ambient air. To control this process more precisely—for example, during condensation processes—large fans and louvers are sometimes used. For many years, we have specialized in the manufacture of the actual fin-tube air cooler—naturally in all designs and material combinations.
Helixchanger®
Helixchangers® are heat exchangers that are highly complex to manufacture, which we produce under license from Lummus Technologies. What makes Helixchangers® unique are their spiral-shaped baffles, which increase performance while reducing pressure drop and significantly minimizing fouling. In addition to offering good value for money, they have another major advantage. In many cases, the “helix bundles” can be designed to be “slid” into existing shells, serving as a direct replacement for “standard bundles.” We would be happy to advise you!
Components
In addition to the tube bundle, heat exchangers consist of other components, which we naturally also offer as individual parts; these may vary depending on the heat exchanger’s design. Typical components, however, include pre-chambers, covers, and nozzles. Even the “shell” of the heat exchanger—the so-called “jacket”—can, of course, be purchased separately.
Manufacturing capabilities
Our goal is to manufacture high-quality products cost-effectively and respond flexibly to customer requests. We achieve this through comprehensive training and professional development for our employees, process optimization, the use of digital technologies, and the deployment of state-of-the-art equipment.
The following table provides a general overview of the maximum dimensions of heat exchangers that we can manufacture:
| Maximum | |
| Weight | 100 t |
| Diameter | 4 m |
| Number of pipes | 5,000 |
| Length | 15 m |
| Width | 4 m |
Welding and Cladding (Build-up Welding)
The weld seam is usually the weakest point of a pressure vessel and is therefore subject to the most rigorous testing, such as X-ray or ultrasonic inspection. That is why welding is a core competency for us, whether it is performed by qualified manual welders or using automated welding machines.
We have developed a particular specialty known as cladding. In this process, a high-quality material is welded onto a less expensive base material. This often allows us to meet specific requirements for wear resistance or durability at relatively low cost.
Materials
Working with a wide variety of materials is part of our daily business. This applies not only to the actual manufacturing process, but also encompasses everything from design and procurement to inspection and documentation. We work with a very broad range of materials, including the following:
- High-alloy chromium-nickel steels
- Nickel-based alloys
- Ferritic chromium steels
- Martensitic chromium steels
- Duplex steels
Engineering and Documentation
Typically, the customer specifies the heat exchanger they require. Based on these specifications and the applicable regulations, we calculate and design the heat exchanger. We use specialized calculation software and, where appropriate, finite element method (FEM) calculations. The data obtained forms the basis for material procurement, manufacturing, testing, and acceptance. One aspect that is often underestimated is the order documentation. This can be very extensive and includes, among other things, certificates of origin for the materials used, test plans, test reports, and acceptance protocols.
Industries and Applications
We manufacture heat exchangers and components to customer specifications and are not limited to specific applications. In addition to their “standard” function, our heat exchangers are used, for example, as coolers, condensers, and reboilers. Our customers are primarily from the oil and gas industry, the (petro)chemical sector, and the energy industry; however, we are also open to inquiries from other sectors. In most cases, we are commissioned directly by customers, particularly when it comes to replacement purchases and smaller new installations. For large-scale projects, engineering firms are often involved, through which we are then contacted.