Heat Exchanger Maintenance
Prioritise proactive maintenance amid energy uncertainty
Alfa Laval is calling upon process engineers to unlock new efficiencies and resilience by prioritising proactive heat exchanger maintenance, as detailed in its new report, Ask the HEXperts.
Text & image by Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval’ s latest whitepaper highlights how proactive heat exchanger servicing can help heavy industries reduce operating costs and carbon emissions. Research cited in the report shows that a single fouled heat exchanger can create losses of more than € 12,000 over two months while generating an additional 175 tons of CO 2
. Heat transfer efficiency decreases as fouling accumulates, increasing operating costs and emissions while raising the risk of equipment failure. Regular servicing, including cleaning, reconditioning, and repair or replacement of components such as gaskets, can help restore heat transfer performance. Alessandro Bracco, Managing Director for Alfa Laval UK and Ireland, said companies should focus on efficiencies within their control.“ Heat exchangers can be found in vast quantities in nearly every single process line, yet many
businesses still choose to run them to failure – a false economy,” he said.“ Servicing heat exchangers proactively not only allows you to control when downtime is undertaken, but delivers efficiency savings that can be genuinely revolutionary for businesses operating in this environment.”
Sort out your priorities The Ask the HEXperts whitepaper examines the energy market facing process engineers, compares reactive and proactive maintenance approaches, and provides a step-by-step overview of the servicing process. It also includes case studies, including a petrochemical plant that achieved annual savings of € 33,000 by servicing its heat exchangers. With energy costs rising and decarbonisation targets tightening, Alfa Laval argues that proactive heat exchanger servicing can help process industries improve efficiency while reducing costs and emissions. Alessandro concluded:“ Servicing can be the lifeline that process lines never knew they needed. In the wake of tightening decarbonisation targets, rising energy costs and growing overseas competition, now is the time to Ask the HEXperts, and see what heat exchanger servicing can do for your business.”