Free Flow

EcoFlex Free Flow gasketed plate heat exchangers provide high efficiency heat transfer for liquids with high pulp or fiber content, such as fruit juice or paper pulp, and for high viscosity media. Well suited for applications in:

• Food
• Sugar
• Paper
• Wastewater Treatment
• Renewable Energy

Some process liquids have high viscosity or significant fiber content, such as fruit juice, sugar and paper. In those circumstances, normal plate designs clog or fail to perform properly. Even many “wide gap” plates use multiple contact points and hourglass shaped openings, requiring frequent maintenance or backflushing to return them to operation.

EcoFlex Free Flow plates are specifically designed to address this issue, and provide maximum efficiency and performance. Free Flow plates stand out for their:

• Constant-width gaps from 5.0 mm up to 12.0 mm
• Flow channels without support points that might cause clogging
• Plate profiles (waves) designed to enhance flow and reduce clogging

This makes Free Flow plate heat exchangers particularly suitable for products containing solids, crystals and pulp as well as for highly viscous products, which is why they are used mainly in the sugar and paper industries and in the food and fruit juice industries.

High Performance
In addition, wide and narrow flow channels can be combined within a single unit to maximize heat transfer efficiency without any flow penalty.

Lower Investment Cost
Free Flow plate heat exchangers made by GEA Ecoflex are more efficient than other heat exchanger systems, such as bare-tube or spiral-tube heat exchangers. The result? Lower up-front cost.

Easier Maintenance
The advantages of Free Flow do not stop there.  When it comes to maintenance and replacement parts, Free Flow plates are easy to remove, easy to clean and easy to re-install, making planned maintenance a snap.

Technical Details:

• Heat Transfer Plate Material: 316 Stainless Steel, 904L Stainless Steel, 254 SMO, and others on request
• Gasket: NBR, EPDM
• Port Connection: Unlined, Rubber Lined, Metal Lined (Stainless Steel & other materials on request), Welded Neck Flange, and others on request
• Pressure Plate: Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, and others on request
• Temperature Range: Up to 160°C (320°F), depending on media
• Maximum Connection Size: Pressure plate material selection may affect maximum connection size. Contact us to discuss what your applications requirements.