Fully welded plate heat exchanger

A fully welded plate heat exchanger is a robust heat transfer unit where the plates are permanently fused together into a core block using advanced welding techniques like laser welding. The most fundamental difference is that it contains no gaskets. This makes it ideal for demanding applications, completely eliminating the risk of leakage and downtime associated with gasket degradation, corrosion, or blow-out under high pressure or temperature swings.

A fully welded plate heat exchanger is the superior choice when your operating conditions meet one or more of the following criteria:
Demanding Media: Handles high temperatures (typically up to 350°C+) and high pressures (typically up to 4.0 MPa+).
Corrosive or Hazardous Fluids: The media is corrosive, toxic, or flammable, making zero-leakage a critical safety requirement.
Gasket Incompatibility: The process fluid degrades, dissolves, or damages rubber gaskets, or contains particles that can compromise gasket seals.
Space Constraints: It offers a significantly more compact footprint than a shell-and-tube exchanger of equivalent duty.
Reduced Maintenance: It minimizes downtime and maintenance costs by removing the need for periodic gasket replacement.

This is a common concern, but cleanability is a key design feature. While the plate pack is welded, we employ intelligent designs to ensure effective maintenance:
Openable Design Models: We offer models where one side of the plate pack can be opened for mechanical cleaning with high-pressure water, chemicals, or specialized tools.
Removable Nozzles: For severe fouling, we can design units with removable connections for better access.
Fouling-Resistant Design: We optimize channel geometry and flow velocity during the design phase to minimize the risk of scaling and fouling from the start.

We provide a wide range of material options to suit aggressive media. Beyond standard 304 and 316L stainless steel, we can manufacture plates from:
High-Performance Alloys: Including Hastelloy® (C-22, C-276), Monel®, Inconel® (600, 625), and Titanium.
Specialty Stainless Steels: Such as SMO 254 and 904L.
Our engineering team can recommend the most cost-effective and durable material based on your specific fluid composition, temperature, and concentration.

Fully welded models retain the high thermal efficiency inherent to plate-type exchangers. The corrugated plates create intense turbulence, resulting in a heat transfer coefficient that is typically 2 to 4 times higher than that of a shell-and-tube unit. This means our exchangers are far more compact and lightweight, often requiring less heat transfer surface area, which can lead to lower capital and installation costs.