More than 40-years’ experience, combined with great teamwork, paid off earlier this year when HRS Heat Exchangers met an extremely tight deadline to convert an existing heat exchanger for a key client.

The project involved a standard BEM-type heat exchanger which needed converting to make it suitable for high pressure chemical use. The unit had to be collected from the client’s site, 1,300 km away from the HRS factory in Murcia, Spain; the necessary materials had to be procured; and once the modifications were complete, the unit had to be tested and returned to the client. And all in just five working days!

A BEM heat exchanger consists of a bundle of fixed tubes within an outer casing. The product passes through multiple tubes in order to maximise heat transfer, while the service fluid circulates around the tubes in the outer casing. An expansion joint allows for differences in the expansion of the tubes and the casing.

The upgrade work included modifying the heat exchanger’s 20-inch header to SCH 80S specification pipework and reinforcing the nozzles. 

Antonio Guillermo Jara, Sales and Process Engineer at HRS Heat Exchangers, commented: “Although the actual engineering involved in this project was relatively straightforward, the extremely tight timescale created a significant challenge. 

“In order to accomplish it, various functions within the HRS team had to work together, across procurement, logistics, manufacturing and quality control. The team effort was incredible and ensured the project went without a hitch – in fact, we delivered the upgraded heat exchanger to the client with four hours to spare!”

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