Buying and delivery
In short
Before a gasketed plate heat exchanger leaves the works it is pressure tested, inspected and marked, and it travels with a document pack: data sheet, drawings, test certificate, material records where required and the manual. TECS designs, manufactures and tests its gasketed plate heat exchangers and prepares the documents for each project.
A buyer usually sees the plate heat exchanger twice: as a data sheet at the quotation stage and as a crate on site. A lot happens in between, and some of it decides how smoothly the unit is accepted by the contractor, the inspector and the end client. This guide walks through the last part of that journey.
The Pressure Test
Every finished unit is tested with pressure on each side before it is released. The test shows that the gaskets seal, that the plates and frame hold, and that one side does not leak into the other. It is carried out at a level set by the design code and the order, and the result is recorded on a test certificate signed at the works.
Some projects ask for the test to be witnessed by the client or a third-party inspector. That is common and easy to arrange, but it has to be in the order, because it needs a date agreed in advance.
What Is In The Document Pack
The documents a buyer receives depend on the project, but a typical pack holds the final data sheet, the general arrangement drawing with the connections and the space needed to open the frame, the pressure test certificate, the nameplate details, the material certificates where the specification asks for them, and an installation, operation and maintenance manual with the plate and gasket list for spares.
Export projects and regulated markets may add a declaration of conformity, a code stamp or a certificate of origin. The earlier these are named, the less chance a unit waits at the port for a paper.
Marking, Packing And The Trip
Each unit carries a nameplate with its serial number, so spare plates and gaskets can be ordered years later without guesswork. The connections are capped, loose parts are packed with the unit, and the exchanger is fixed on a skid or in a crate suited to the transport: road, sea or air. For sea freight the packing protects against moisture and salt air over a long voyage.
On arrival, check the crate for damage before signing, keep the unit dry and covered until it is installed, and leave the frame bolts alone: the pack was tightened and tested at the works.
Settle It In The Order
Witnessed tests, special certificates, the language of the manual, marking rules of the end client and the packing for long sea transport are all simple to provide when they are known at the start and awkward when they surface on the day of shipment. A short list of these items with the purchase order saves weeks.
TECS designs and manufactures gasketed plate heat exchangers, spare plates and gaskets for projects worldwide. Send the fluids, the duty and the site, and the engineering team will answer.
What Comes With The Unit
- Pressure test on each side, recorded on a certificate
- Final data sheet and general arrangement drawing
- Material certificates where the specification asks
- Manual with the plate and gasket list for spares
- Nameplate with serial number for later orders
- Packing chosen for road, sea or air transport
What To State With The Order
- Design code or standard required
- Witnessed test or third-party inspection, if any
- Certificates and declarations needed
- Language of the manual and drawings
- Destination and mode of transport
- Marking or tagging rules of the end client
Questions We Are Often Asked
Is every gasketed plate heat exchanger pressure tested?
Yes. Each finished unit is pressure tested on both sides before it leaves the works, and the result is recorded on a certificate.
Can I witness the test?
Yes. The client or a third-party inspector can witness it if this is stated in the order, so a date can be agreed in advance.
What documents come with the unit?
Typically the data sheet, the general arrangement drawing, the pressure test certificate, material certificates where required and the manual with the spare parts list.
Why is the serial number important?
It identifies the exact plates and gaskets in the unit, so spares can be ordered correctly years later.
Should I retighten the frame on arrival?
No. The plate pack was tightened and tested at the works. Install it as described in the manual.
Contact Us
Send us the fluids on both sides, the heat duty, the flow rates and temperatures and the site. We answer with a selection and an offer - or write to us on WhatsApp.
