Advantage: Easy to clean and maintain. The unit can be opened by loosening the bolts, allowing for inspection, cleaning, or adding/removing plates to change capacity.
Disadvantage: Limited by the pressure and temperature ratings of the gaskets.
Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger:
The plates are brazed together in a vacuum furnace using copper or nickel as the brazing material.
Advantage: No gaskets or frame, making them very compact, robust, and suitable for high-pressure and high-temperature applications.
Disadvantage: Cannot be opened for cleaning or servicing. If it fouls or leaks, the entire unit must be replaced.
Welded Plate Heat Exchanger:
Similar to brazed, but the plates are laser-welded together.
Advantage: Even more robust than brazed, suitable for aggressive fluids, high pressures, and temperatures where gaskets would fail.
Disadvantage: Like brazed units, they are not serviceable.
