Heat Exchanger Services

What this service is

Complete overhaul of industrial heat exchangers, from shell-and-tube process units through plate exchangers. Scope covers the full cycle: disassembly, inspection, welding restoration, reassembly, and hydrostatic testing for handover.

Heat exchangers sit at the intersection of pressure equipment, tube fabrication, and precision welding. Getting one back into service on schedule requires welding discipline, dimensional control, and documentation that stands up to PED and plant inspection review.

Scope

Full overhaul scope typically includes:

• Removal from service (client operations) and de-isolation
• Transport to work area (on-site or off-site, per project)
• Insulation removal and surface cleaning
• Disassembly — head removal, channel separation, tube bundle extraction
• Visual and dimensional inspection of shell, tube bundle, tubesheet, channel
• Non-destructive testing coordination (eddy current, PT, VT, UT)
• Identification of rejected tubes and repair decisions
• Tube-to-tubesheet weld repair or re-welding per WPS
• Shell repair welding where corrosion or erosion is found
• Gasket replacement per client specification
• Reassembly with torque control
• Hydrostatic pressure testing
• Handover to plant with full documentation

Where we coordinate with specialists:

• Eddy current testing of tubes (specialist NDT)
• Tube plugging decisions (client reliability engineering)
• Re-tubing campaigns (specialist shop)

Codes and standards

• ISO 3834-2 — Welding quality framework
• PED 2014/68/EU — Pressure equipment directive compliance
• EN 13480 — Piping adjacent to heat exchanger
• TEMA — Standards of the Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association (US spec, often referenced)
• ASME Section VIII Div. 1 — Where plant operates under ASME code
• EN ISO 9606-1 — Welder qualification
• Manufacturer’s original data book — always consulted before repair scope is finalized

For repair work, the original data book (OEM drawings, materials, certifications) is critical. We reference it before any weld repair is authorized, so that material compatibility and post-weld treatment are correct.

Materials and thickness

Heat exchanger materials vary widely — we maintain qualifications for the common industrial set:

• Carbon steel — shells, heads, channel, common for water-cooled service
• Stainless 304 / 316 — tube bundles, shells for chemical and process service
• Duplex 2205 — aggressive chloride service
• Titanium — seawater and highly corrosive service, qualified per project

Typical shell thickness 6–30 mm; tube wall 1–3 mm; tubesheet thickness up to 80 mm.

Tube-to-tubesheet welding

Tube-to-tubesheet welds are the most sensitive part of a heat exchanger repair. Each weld is small, precise, and visually inspected individually. We work to:

• EN ISO 15614-8 — Welding procedure qualification for tube-to-tubesheet joints (specialized procedure)
• Orbital TIG where geometry permits
• Manual TIG for repair work and accessible tube patterns
• 100% VT, PT on sampling or full coverage per client spec
• Leak testing post-weld

Weld rejection rate on tube-to-tubesheet work is tracked per tubesheet — tubes rejected twice are flagged for plugging decision by client reliability.

Where we’ve delivered this service

• S.M.I Lorraine, France — complete repair of industrial heat exchanger including disassembly, inspection, welding restoration works and reassembly. Delivered August 2024.

→ See the S.M.I Lorraine case study

Frequently asked

Can you handle re-tubing, or only repair? Repair and partial re-tubing within existing tube patterns yes. Full re-tubing campaigns (removing all tubes, installing new ones) are typically handled at specialist heat exchanger fabrication shops and we coordinate with those partners where the scope requires it.

Do you offer on-site vs. workshop overhaul? Both, depending on unit size, plant shutdown window, and transport practicality. Smaller exchangers typically travel to a workshop for controlled environment repair. Larger units are overhauled in-situ when the shutdown schedule allows.

How long does a typical shell-and-tube overhaul take? Depends on size and scope. A small 2-meter shell with minor weld repair can be 2–3 weeks turnaround. A major overhaul with tube bundle extraction, inspection, and weld repair can run 4–8 weeks.

Do you handle the pressure vessel inspection for PED compliance? Welding we do; formal PED conformity assessment is typically signed by an authorized inspector (AI) or notified body. We coordinate with the AI throughout the job and deliver our weld and inspection records in a format the AI can accept.

What about plate heat exchangers? Plate exchanger gasket replacement, plate re-stacking, and torque control yes. Plate repair welding is specialized and typically handled by the manufacturer — we coordinate with them where needed.

Do you handle hydrostatic testing yourselves or is it client-witnessed? We execute the test; client or AI witnesses and signs. Pressure, hold time, chart recording, and release all per client procedure.

Request a quote

Tell us the exchanger type, known or suspected scope, and your outage window. We’ll respond within one business day with inspection plan, welding approach, and schedule.

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