A stainless steel shell and tube heat exchanger is a heat exchanger in which one medium flows through a bundle of many tubes and a second medium flows around these tubes in the shell space. Both media remain separate from each other and the heat is transferred via the tube wall.

Common applications include heating or cooling process media, heat recovery and, depending on the design, condensing or evaporating media. Stainless steel shell and tube heat exchangers are particularly suitable for industrial applications where operational safety, durability and corrosion resistance are required.

Learn more about how a heat exchanger works here.

In U-tube bundle heat exchangers, the internal tube bundles are arranged in a U-shape. The U-tube bundle heat exchanger has the advantage of a compact design, which makes it very efficient. This design also allows thermal stress to be compensated.

A straight tube bundle heat exchanger is more suitable for contaminated media with, for example, high suspended solids content. It can be used wherever viscous or contaminated media are used. Its straight pipes make it much easier to clean. However, its design often makes it larger than the U-tube bundle heat exchanger and the tube bundle cannot usually be replaced.

Large temperature differences or mechanical influences such as vibrations and high pressures place high demands on the material of a heat exchanger.

In addition, corrosion and deposits of lime or other residues increase the maintenance requirements of the heat exchanger.

That is why we have been relying on stainless steel as a material for over 40 years. It is particularly reliable, durable and high-quality. Stainless steel heat exchangers are particularly corrosion-resistant and the build-up of limescale and other residues is minimized. The surface of stainless steel is also advantageous when cleaning, product purity or hygiene requirements are relevant, e.g. for the food industry.

Typical cases in which a shell and tube heat exchanger is often not the best solution:

• Very small installation space with high power requirements.
• Very small temperature differences between inlet and outlet, where very close temperature approximation is required.

The connections are determined on a project-specific basis and adapted to your system and requirements.

Flange connections in accordance with common DIN or EN standards and threaded connections for smaller nominal diameters are standard. However, other connection types are also possible thanks to project-specific custom manufacturing.

The position of the connections on the heat exchanger can be defined according to the installation situation. Flow control, venting, drainability and maintenance accessibility are taken into account.

We can take your cleaning, inspection and maintenance requirements into account when designing the heat exchanger.

Typical options include removable tube bundles for U-tube heat exchangers or an increased inner tube diameter for permanently welded tube bundle heat exchangers to enable easy flushing or CIP.

Flow guidance, pipe diameter and baffle plate arrangement can also be selected to reduce deposits and optimise maintenance intervals.

Potential thermal expansion and the resulting stress are already considered in the design of our heat exchangers.

Typical design measures include:

• Suitable choice of design, such as U-tubes, which can accommodate temperature-related changes in length more flexibly
• The use of compensators can reduce stress between the shell and the tube bundle

Our heat exchangers are packed securely for transport on sturdy wooden pallets. They are then protected from dirt and moisture with stretch film and professionally secured with plastic tension straps to ensure safe transport. We also seal any openings, such as flanges, with plastic caps.

Shipping is usually carried out by our trusted shipping company, Wackler Spedition & Logistik, which is affiliated with the CargoLine network.

On request, we can of course also ship the heat exchangers via your preferred shipping company.

We generally have a delivery time of 10-12 weeks after the order is placed. This depends on your approval of the drawing, the materials required, the order volume and our current workload.

If you need an urgent replacement due to a leak in an existing heat exchanger and require a quick solution, please do not hesitate to contact us. In urgent cases, we can often speed up delivery.

Once we have received your order, we will of course create a drawing based on your design specifications. You will then receive this for approval, usually as a PDF or 2D drawing. On request, we can also provide you with a 3D model.

If you have any requests for adjustments before approval, these will of course be implemented.

Once the drawing has been approved, you will receive the order confirmation, and we will begin ordering the appropriate components and then start production.

We supply the relevant technical documentation for each of our stainless steel heat exchangers, tailored to the intended use and design. Available in German or English.

This documentation includes:

• EU declaration of conformity or manufacturer's declaration
• Pressure test report
• Drawing
• Operating instructions
• Copy of type plate

Depending on the category of the Pressure Equipment Directive or your specific requirements:

• TÜV certificate
• TÜV design review
• Material certificate and re-stamping certificate
• Material certificates 3.1 or 3.2
• Penetration test report
• Risk analysis and assessment
• A2 certificate
• HP0 certificate
• Welding certificates