services and products

Gasketed plate heat exchangers

A gasketed plate heat exchanger is a demountable heat exchanger: the plate pack is clamped between two frame plates and can be opened. That means you can add plates later, replace gaskets or inspect the pack, without replacing the whole unit. HEXCHANGE assembles these plate heat exchangers from its own stock in Oosterhout, with plates in AISI 304, AISI 316 or titanium. You will receive a quotation within one working day.

Heat exchanger sizing Request your quote here

What is a gasketed plate heat exchanger?

A gasketed plate heat exchanger consists of three parts: a frame with tie bolts, a pack of thin corrugated plates, and the gaskets that seal the plates against each other and direct the flow. The pack is compressed between the fixed and the movable frame plate. Because the sealing comes from gaskets rather than brazing, you can open the plate pack to inspect, extend or clean it — hence the name demountable heat exchanger.

That makes this type suitable for installations that may grow or change. If the required capacity increases later, you add plates in the same frame, as long as the frame can accommodate that length.

How does a plate heat exchanger work?

The working principle of a plate heat exchanger is counter-flow across a large surface area. The two media flow alternately through the channels between the plates: the hot medium through the odd channels, the cold through the even ones. They never touch, separated only by the plate — and that plate is thin. Because the media flow towards each other, the temperature difference remains roughly constant along the entire length.

The corrugated profile of the plates also makes the flow turbulent rather than laminar. Turbulence improves heat transfer, and that is why a plate heat exchanger is far more compact than a shell-and-tube exchanger at the same capacity. The trade-off is pressure drop: the narrower the channels, the more resistance. That is the balance to strike during selection.

Assembly of a plate heat exchanger at the UNEX factory

Plate material: stainless steel (AISI 304 or AISI 316) or titanium

The plate material determines what a plate heat exchanger can withstand. We supply the plates in stainless steel, in AISI 304 or AISI 316. For the vast majority of applications with water, glycol mixtures and common process media that is sufficient; AISI 316 is the more generous choice, as it copes better with more aggressive media.

For media that stainless steel cannot handle, we supply the plates in titanium. That mainly applies to chloride-containing water, including seawater and brackish water — one reason why titanium plates are often the standard in marine and coastal installations. A titanium heat exchanger costs more to buy, but in those conditions it is the only version that lasts for years. This choice only exists for the gasketed, demountable version; titanium is not available in a brazed heat exchanger.

AISI 304 — stainless steel for common applications with water and glycol
AISI 316 — the more generous choice for more aggressive process media
Titanium — for chloride-containing water, seawater and brackish water
Unsure about the material choice? Pass on the medium and concentration and we will advise

Gaskets, frame and extending the plate pack

Gaskets are the wear parts of a demountable exchanger: the rubber ages under the influence of temperature and medium. That is not a drawback but a design choice — the gaskets can be replaced without touching the rest of the installation. We supply gaskets and plates separately, including for exchangers you originally bought elsewhere.

The frame determines how many plates fit in a plate heat exchanger and which connection size you get. When assembling, we therefore look ahead: if there is a chance the capacity will need to increase later, we prefer to choose a frame with room to spare right away.

UNEX plate heat exchangers from our own stock

HEXCHANGE supplies the plate heat exchangers of UNEX and is a premium partner of the brand. We keep frames, plates and gaskets in stock in Oosterhout and assemble the plate heat exchangers in-house. That is why custom-built does not mean a long lead time here: the parts are already on the shelf. We have specialised in heat exchangers since 2013 and know the range inside out; you will hear within one working day which type suits your medium and process conditions, quotation included.

Selecting, calculating or replacing a plate heat exchanger

If you already know the required capacity, we can propose a model straight away. If not, you will find the formulas and the calculation aid on our heat exchanger calculation page. If you already have another brand in operation and are looking for the same size again, use the search tool on the replacement page: there you will find the one-to-one replacement by brand and type number.

Looking for a compact, sealed version without gaskets instead? Then see the brazed plate heat exchanger. And if you only need one temporarily, you can also rent a heat exchanger.

heat exchanger calculation