Posted on Oct 7, 2021 4:15:00 PM by AGC Heat Transfer | 5 min. read
If your plate heat exchanger isn’t running at its highest potential, the problem is usually with your plates — not your entire unit.
If you want to increase efficiencies across your facility and tackle repeating challenges, investing in plates designed for your specific production line might be the answer.
Standard vs. Custom Heat Exchanger Plates
Most standard plate heat exchanger designs are designed to perform a general, effective heat transfer on any number of products. While these plates “get the job done,” they aren't always customized for sanitary food and beverage applications.
Custom plate configurations are add-ons or replacements to existing heat exchanger designs. These custom plates may have a larger surface area, larger gaskets, or even a different material to match your production line’s unique operations.
For example, AGC’s ProFlo Series customized plate packs have a large surface area and match the 3-A sanitation standard. This makes these the perfect heat exchanger selection for the food industry, where these factors are crucial.
So, what challenges can custom heat exchanger plates help you tackle?
1. Low Flow Rates and Pressure Drops
To run at peak efficiency, your gasket flow should be adjusted and tweaked for each individual product running through your plate heat exchanger. These adjustments take into account the viscosity, material, and starting heat of your product.
At AGC, we engineer your gaskets to create that optimized flow. Between higher flow rates and a larger surface area, you’ll be able to process more products per batch and complete more batches per shift. And with AGC’s ProFlow Series, you’ll kick your production output into high gear.
Our AGC PRO10TM plate design features an enlarged opening for lower pressure drop in the port inlet.
2. Premature Fouling and Channeling
We're always talking to plants that struggle with reduced efficiency due to fouling and channeling. This is one of the many reasons we engineered custom plates with fouling prevention and easy cleaning in mind.
AGC plates are designed with specific flow patterns that minimize areas where fouling is likely to occur. We can significantly decrease the risk of premature fouling by reducing dead zones and ensuring consistent flow across the entire plate surface.
Higher CIP Flow Rates and Better Cleaning Response
All of our plates feature a bright annealed finish, which allows for better evaluation of CIP response. Certain plate models, including our PRO3TM plates, feature a special cleaning channel for better CIP response, ensuring that cleaning solutions reach all areas of the plate effectively.
3. Rising Plant Energy Costs
When you install custom plate packs to boost your output, you may be concerned that your energy bills will skyrocket with your production. Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
AGC’s custom plate and frame heat exchanger designs are engineered to boost operational efficiency. Because of the greater plate surface area and the increased contact times during flow, you’ll speed up your production line without spending a cent more on utilities.
Even more good news: with some gasketed plate heat exchanger designs, you can reuse waste heat, thus lowering your energy bill even further.
4. Cross-Contamination
Plate durability and gasket quality both contribute to your product's safety. Our gaskets are made from heat-resistant, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials, sealing plates and preventing cross-contamination.
Our AGC PRO10TM gasket design features snap-in gaskets for secure attachment and easy regasketing.
Our AGC PRO10TM metal-to-metal alignment device and reinforced side band enhance the plate's durability.
5. Inefficient Heat Transfer
Standard heat exchanger plates are designed for general use but may not provide optimal heat transfer for your specific products or processes. Custom plates, on the other hand, can significantly improve heat transfer efficiency by tailoring the design to your needs.
Custom plates might feature:
- Optimized chevron angles to enhance turbulence and heat transfer
- Increased or decreased pressing depths to adjust flow velocity
- Specialized distribution areas to ensure even product flow
6. Corrosion and Shortened Plate Lifespans
Standard plates may not always be suitable for corrosive or reactive processes. AGC's plates can be manufactured from specialized materials or with protective coatings to ensure longevity for equipment running highly corrosive products.
At AGC, we use corrosion-resistant materials, including high nickel alloy. We also design heat exchangers for highly aggressive applications using metals like tantalum, niobium, zirconium, and titanium.
Our plates are also built to last with durable materials and designs that withstand the test of time. For example, our PRO10TM plates feature a 0.7mm thickness to reduce bending and increase their durability. And for highly viscous products or products with particulates, our Pro5TM plates boast a 0.9mm thickness and reduce restriction inlet to run your product best.
And we didn't just stop at our plates — our plate heat exchangers are designed so that common wear components, like ports, can be easily replaced without needing to replace your entire frame.
7. Inability To Scale
As your production needs grow, your existing heat exchanger may struggle to keep up. Custom plates can help increase capacity without requiring a complete system overhaul:
- Larger surface area designs to increase heat transfer within the same frame
- More efficient plate patterns to improve heat transfer rates
- Optimized plate gaps to increase flow rates while maintaining heat transfer efficiency
Scale Easily and Quickly
If you’re looking to get more out of your heat exchanger, it can be costly to rearrange your entire production line — not to mention the downtime you’ll experience during the upgrade. But with custom plate packs, you won’t need to worry about extensive interruptions.
Since custom heat plates fit directly into your current heat exchanger, there’s no reason to move anything around. And since they are quick to install, you can get back up and running with your newly improved equipment in no time.
Custom Plate Packs That Get the Job Done
The cost of downtime and troubleshooting can quickly add up to (and exceed) the cost of investing in plates that can handle the job at hand.
If you’re looking for custom solutions for your plate heat exchanger, let the pros at AGC help you out. No matter how you lay out your operations, we can create custom plate packs that fit into your business plan and maximize your output.
The sooner you install your custom plate heat exchangers, the sooner you can give your plant a competitive edge.
Topics: AGC Way | Sanitary | Heat Transfer Plates