PlutoHX

Feature

Built the way it is fabricated.

Beyond the calculation, PlutoHX shows the order in which the exchanger is made and put together, in eight stages.

The eight stages

From the front end to the saddles.

  1. Stage 1, front end fabrication: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 1 of 8

    Front end fabrication

    Channel barrel, nozzles, and bolted cover are made as one sub-assembly, away from the shell.

  2. Stage 2, shell fabrication: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 2 of 8

    Shell fabrication

    The shell course is rolled and seam welded, then its inlet and outlet nozzles are fitted.

  3. Stage 3, tube bundle assembly: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 3 of 8

    Tube bundle assembly

    Stationary tubesheet, tie rods, spacers, baffles, floating tubesheet, and tubes are built into a complete, removable tube bundle.

  4. Stage 4, rear end fit-up: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 4 of 8

    Rear end fit-up

    The rear end is offered up and bolted to the shell to confirm fit, then opened again to receive the bundle.

  5. Stage 5, bundle insertion: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 5 of 8

    Bundle insertion

    The finished tube bundle goes into the shell from the front, floating head first.

  6. Stage 6, front end attachment: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 6 of 8

    Front end attachment

    The front end is drawn up to the shell, gasketed against the stationary tubesheet and fixed with through-bolts.

  7. Stage 7, rear end closure: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 7 of 8

    Rear end closure

    The rear end (shell cover) is gasketed and bolted to the shell's rear flange, sealing the unit.

  8. Stage 8, saddle mounting: line drawing of the reference exchanger at this stage, with the part being worked on shaded mint.

    Stage 8 of 8

    Saddle mounting

    The exchanger is set on its two saddles: one fixed (anchored), one sliding so the shell can grow with heat.

Inside stage 3

How the tube bundle is put together.

The owner’s build order for the bundle:

  1. Stationary tubesheet

    The bundle starts from the tubesheet at the channel end.

  2. Tie rods

    The tie rods are fixed into the stationary tubesheet.

  3. Spacers

    Spacers on the tie rods set the distance between the baffles.

  4. Baffles

    The single segmental baffles go onto the tie rods, one after another.

  5. Nuts

    Nuts hold the baffle stack in place.

  6. Floating tubesheet

    The tubesheet at the rear end goes on next.

  7. Tubes

    The tubes are passed through the baffles and both tubesheets.

  8. Floating head

    The floating head closes the rear of the bundle.

Why it helps

For the shop, and for the site.

The stages show the fabricator the order of work, and the owner-operator what maintenance involves: the tube bundle of the reference exchanger is removable (TEMA type T), and its two saddles are one fixed and one sliding.

In PlutoHX an assembly sequence timeline plays the same build step by step beside the model.

Coming Winter 2026

We would be glad to show you PlutoHX.

PlutoHX launches at the end of this year. A live demo shows how it fits the way your team works.

Book a demo

We would be glad to walk your team through PlutoHX, live.

Book a demo

Ask us a question

You are welcome to write to sales@plutohx.com or call +1 (713) 562-0368 with any question about PlutoHX.

Contact us

Visit us at the booth for a deep dive into PlutoHX.

sales@plutohx.com+1 (713) 562-0368Contact