The plates of a heat exchanger are a crucial component for heat exchange. Their pressing and forming processes directly affect the plate's structural strength, heat exchange efficiency, and sealing performance. The entire manufacturing process for Exxon's fully welded plate heat exchanger plates requires raw material pretreatment.
Common materials for fully welded heat exchanger plates include stainless steel, titanium, and Hastelloy. The raw materials are either coils or flat plates. First, the plates are cut into individual blanks according to the design dimensions. Next, surface treatment is performed, including pickling to remove oxide scale and oil stains from the plate surface. This prevents impurities from affecting the forming quality during pressing and improves the plate's ductility, preparing it for subsequent pressing. For some plates in Exxon's fully welded plate heat exchangers, which use special materials like titanium, annealing is also required to eliminate internal stress and prevent cracks during pressing.
