What is a Heat Exchanger?
A heat exchanger transfers thermal energy between two fluids without mixing them. One fluid gives up heat while the other absorbs it, enabling heating, cooling, condensation, or evaporation depending on the application. Heat exchangers are fundamental to process industries—every facility relies on heat exchangers for temperature control, energy recovery, and thermal processing.
Different heat exchanger types suit different applications based on fluid properties, temperature requirements, fouling tendency, and space constraints. Shell and tube exchangers handle high pressures and temperatures reliably. Plate exchangers provide compact, efficient heat transfer. Scraped surface exchangers process viscous and crystallising fluids. Understanding your thermal requirements is essential for selecting the optimal heat exchanger type.
Heat exchangers work throughout process facilities: heating feed streams to reactors, cooling products from processing, condensing vapours from distillation columns, and recovering energy between process streams.
Types of Heat Exchangers
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers
Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of a bundle of tubes inside a cylindrical shell. One fluid flows through the tubes; the other flows around them in the shell. This robust design handles high pressures, high temperatures, and large temperature differences. Shell and tube exchangers are workhorses for chemical and petrochemical industries. Explore our shell and tube heat exchanger inventory.
Plate Heat Exchangers
Plate heat exchangers use thin corrugated plates to create flow channels for heat transfer. The compact design provides high heat transfer efficiency in minimal space. Plate exchangers suit food, pharmaceutical, and HVAC applications where efficiency and cleanability are priorities. View our plate heat exchanger selection.
Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers
Scraped surface heat exchangers use rotating blades to continuously scrape product from the heat transfer surface. This action handles viscous products, crystallising materials, and fouling fluids that would clog conventional exchangers. Scraped surface exchangers from Votator, Alfa Laval, and Contherm serve food, chemical, and specialty applications. Browse our scraped surface heat exchanger stock.
Spiral Heat Exchangers
Spiral heat exchangers feature two curved channels wound around a central core. The spiral geometry creates turbulent flow even at low velocities, providing good heat transfer for viscous fluids and handling solids-containing streams effectively.
Heat Exchanger Applications
Heat Exchangers for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical heat exchangers heat and cool process streams, condense solvents from vacuum dryers, and control reactor temperatures. Sanitary heat exchangers feature hygienic design with CIP capability for validated cleaning. Stainless steel construction meets GMP requirements. Heat exchangers support distillation and evaporation systems as condensers and reboilers.
Heat Exchangers for Chemical Processing
Chemical heat exchangers handle diverse fluids including corrosive chemicals, high-temperature streams, and phase-change applications. Shell and tube exchangers in specialty materials withstand aggressive environments. Heat exchangers provide reactor heating and cooling, product tempering, and energy recovery throughout chemical facilities.
Heat Exchangers for Food Processing
Food heat exchangers pasteurise, sterilise, heat, and cool food products while meeting hygiene standards. Plate exchangers provide efficient, cleanable heat transfer for beverages, dairy, and liquid foods. Scraped surface exchangers process viscous products like sauces, fillings, and frozen desserts.
Heat Exchanger Manufacturers at Foeth
Our heat exchanger stock features equipment from leading manufacturers:
Alfa Laval – Plate, shell and tube, and scraped surface heat exchangers for diverse industries
APV – Plate heat exchangers and thermal systems for food and pharmaceutical
GEA – Plate and shell and tube heat exchangers for process industries
Kelvion – Shell and tube and plate heat exchangers for industrial applications
Sondex – Plate heat exchangers for HVAC and process applications
Votator – Scraped surface heat exchangers for food processing
Contherm – Scraped surface heat exchangers for viscous products
Why Buy Heat Exchangers from Foeth?
Extensive Selection
Foeth offers Europe's largest stock of used heat exchangers with equipment available for immediate delivery. Our inventory covers all heat exchanger types, sizes, and materials of construction from small process exchangers to large industrial units.
Quality Tested
Every heat exchanger undergoes thorough inspection including pressure testing, leak detection, and surface condition assessment. We verify tube bundle condition, plate integrity, and gasket status. Detailed condition reports support informed purchasing decisions.
Expert Support
Our technical team understands heat exchanger technology and can recommend equipment based on your thermal requirements. Contact us for selection advice and competitive quotations.
Explore Our Heat Exchanger Inventory
Browse our complete selection of heat exchangers by type:
Looking for related equipment? Explore our reactors requiring heating and cooling, distillation columns needing condensers and reboilers, and pumps for fluid circulation.
Request a Heat Exchanger Quote
Find the ideal heat exchanger for your thermal processing needs. Browse our heat exchanger inventory and request a quote online. Our technical sales team responds within 24 hours. Reach our team by phone or start a chat on our website.
