Fully Welded Plate Heat Exchanger
Laser-welded plate cassettes eliminate elastomer limitations, enabling service with hydrocarbons, refrigerants and high-temperature process fluids.
- Hydrocarbon processing
- Refrigerants
- High-temperature duties
- · Plate / tube material
- · Design pressure & temperature
- · Connection type and size
- · Code and certification
Fully Welded Plate Heat Exchanger Overview
A Fully Welded Plate Heat Exchanger (FWPHE) uses a laser- or TIG-welded plate pack instead of the elastomer gaskets found in a conventional plate-and-frame unit. Adjacent plates are joined at their peripheral seams to form a gasket-free heat transfer core, so the exchanger can operate outside the temperature, pressure and chemical-compatibility envelope of a gasketed PHE while keeping the compact footprint, high U-value and close temperature approach of plate technology.
The welded plate cassettes are stacked into a frame or shell-and-plate pressure enclosure. Because there is no inter-plate gasket, the unit tolerates hydrocarbons, refrigerants, aromatic solvents, hot oil, steam and high-temperature process streams that would attack an elastomer. Typical duties include hydrocarbon interchangers, refrigerant condensers and evaporators, hot-oil coolers, steam heaters and heat recovery from high-temperature process gas or liquid streams.
Shanghai Jiangxing manufactures fully welded plate heat exchangers to customer-specified process conditions, materials and applicable design codes. Design pressure, design temperature, plate pattern, plate material, nozzle configuration and inspection scope are confirmed for each project based on the process data provided.
Operating Conditions
| Design pressure | Up to 40 bar typical, higher on request (project-specific) |
| Design temperature | Up to ~350 °C (material- and construction-dependent) |
| Heat transfer area | Custom, from small skid-mounted units up to large process duties |
| Plate joining | Laser or TIG welded plate cassettes; gasket-free heat transfer core |
| Enclosure | Frame with welded plate pack, or shell-and-plate pressure vessel |
| Typical duties | Hydrocarbons, refrigerants, hot oil, steam, aggressive process media, condensation and evaporation |
Materials of Construction
| Plate materials | AISI 304, 316L, 254 SMO, titanium Gr.1/Gr.2, SAF 2205 duplex, nickel alloys (Hastelloy C276, Alloy 825, Nickel 200) |
| Frame / shell | Carbon steel painted, stainless-clad, or fully wetted stainless / alloy |
| Connections | Flanged (ANSI, EN, JIS) or welded stubs — sized per line specification |
Selection Parameters
Information our engineering team uses to size and quote this unit.
- Hot- and cold-side medium (composition, contaminants, corrosivity)
- Flow rate on both sides (m³/h or kg/h) and allowable pressure drop
- Inlet and outlet temperatures (both sides), including any phase change
- Design pressure and design temperature (both sides)
- Required heat duty (kW) or LMTD target
- Fouling factor and cleaning strategy (CIP chemistry, thermal cycling, etc.)
- Applicable design code and inspection scope (ASME, PED/CE, GB, third-party inspection)
RFQ Data Checklist
Send the items below with your inquiry for the fastest accurate quotation.
- Process description and PFD / P&ID if available
- Stream compositions on both sides (including corrosive components)
- Flow, inlet/outlet temperatures, allowable pressure drop, design pressure and design temperature (both sides)
- Required duty (kW) and any phase-change details
- Preferred plate and frame materials
- Applicable design code, inspection and documentation requirements
- Site conditions, footprint constraints and nozzle orientation
Fully Welded Plate Heat Exchanger Industry Applications
Feed / effluent heat recovery in a refinery process where the medium and temperature exceed elastomer-gasket limits — welded core in 316L with flanged nozzles.
Refrigerant condenser and evaporator duties in industrial refrigeration where a gasket-free construction is required for compatibility and safety.
High-temperature closed-loop heat recovery from a thermal-oil circuit into a process stream, above the operating window of a gasketed PHE.
Compact welded plate condenser used to condense process steam against a cooling medium, replacing a larger shell-and-tube unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sourcing, verification and next steps
Every unit is engineered to the confirmed duty, materials and inspection scope of the order. Design codes, test certificates and third-party inspection are quoted as options and confirmed per project rather than assumed. See our heat exchanger manufacturing and OEM capability, the quality control and inspection workflow, and the heat exchanger cost guide for what drives price. For a first-pass thermal check, use the heat exchanger sizing calculator, then send your process data for a quotation.
Need a Heat Exchanger for Your Project?
Send your working conditions, drawing or datasheet. Blair will review your request and help confirm the next step.