Brazed plate heat exchangers
Maximum duty in minimum space
Compact, sealed, high-efficiency units for heating, chilled water, heat pump and refrigeration duties — selected, supplied and supported by the same team that designs and services gasketed plate heat exchangers.
How it works
A sealed plate pack, no gaskets, no frame
A brazed plate heat exchanger is a stack of pressed stainless steel plates vacuum-brazed together at every contact point. The braze replaces the gaskets and tightening bolts of a conventional plate heat exchanger, which removes the frame entirely.
The result is a unit a fraction of the size and weight of a gasketed equivalent at the same duty, rated to considerably higher pressures, with no gasket to perish or retighten.
The trade-off is that the plate pack cannot be opened. A brazed unit is cleaned in place rather than stripped, and replaced rather than re-plated at end of life. For most HVAC and refrigeration duties that is the right trade. Where the media fouls heavily or carries solids, or where you need the option to open and inspect, a gasketed unit remains the better long-term choice — and we will tell you when that is the case.
Selection
Sized to your duty
Send the flow rates, inlet and outlet temperatures, media and any pressure drop limit, and we will size the unit and confirm the model, connections and materials against your application. Replacing a failed exchanger? The nameplate is enough to start.
Typical range
| Duty | under 1 kW to several MW |
| Temperature | −196 to +225 °C |
| Design pressure | model-specific |
| Connections | threaded, solder, flanged |
| Brazing | copper or all-stainless |
These are the outer limits of the brazed plate family, not the rating of any single unit. Design pressure and the applicable temperature limits are set by the model and its approvals — always narrower than the material limits above — and are stated on the unit and confirmed at selection.
Brazed or gasketed
Choosing the right type
| Brazed | Gasketed | |
|---|---|---|
| Plate pack | Sealed, cannot be opened | Openable for inspection |
| Design pressure | Higher | Lower |
| Footprint | Compact and light, no frame | Larger, frame and tie bars |
| Cleaning | Clean-in-place | Stripped and cleaned |
| End of life | Replaced | Re-plated and re-gasketed |
| Best suited to | Clean or filtered media | Fouling or solids-bearing media |
Applications
Where they are used
01
HVAC heating and chilled water
Pressure breaks between primary and secondary circuits, plant room isolation, free cooling.
02
Heat pumps and hot water
Condensers, evaporators and domestic hot water duties on commercial heat pump plant.
03
Refrigeration
Evaporators, condensers, desuperheaters, economisers and oil cooling on packaged plant.
04
Industrial process and oil cooling
Hydraulic and lubricating oil coolers, jacket water cooling and interchangers on compact skids.
05
Food and beverage
Clean-service duties where the media is filtered and a sealed pack is acceptable.
06
Marine and mining
Space- and weight-constrained installations where a framed unit will not fit.
How we support it
Selection through to replacement
Brazed units complete the heat exchanger range we already design, supply, service and stock parts for — so the duty, the installation and the maintenance stay with one supplier.
01
Selection and sizing
Duty, flow rates, temperatures, media and pressure drop assessed in-house, with the model, connections and materials confirmed against your application.
02
Supply
Units supplied to site or through our Sydney service facility, with documentation, for new plant and for like-for-like replacement of failed exchangers.
03
Installation support
Guidance on orientation, connection, insulation, strainers and freeze protection — the details that decide whether a brazed unit reaches its service life.
04
Service and replacement
Clean-in-place of fouled units, performance assessment when duty falls away, and replacement selection once a sealed pack has reached end of life.
Collaboration
Our brazed plate supply partner
SWEP ensures efficient heat transfer where less means more. Since 1983, millions of our innovative brazed plate heat exchangers have been integrated into HVACR and industrial applications worldwide, enhancing the quality of life for billions of people. Our expertise in sustainable energy use has grown SWEP into a global company with more than 1,100 employees, five production sites, and a presence in 50 countries. As part of Dover Corporation, we help redefine what is possible within the Climate & Sustainability Technologies segment.
Brantec works with SWEP on brazed plate selections for Australian projects. Enquiries are handled by Brantec, with product selection and technical support from SWEP where a duty calls for it.
SWEP and the SWEP logo are trademarks of SWEP International AB, used with permission.
Get in touch
Let’s size your brazed plate unit
Talk to our plate heat exchanger specialists about selection, supply or replacement.