Laser-welded dimple jacket

Laser-welded dimple jacket integrated into process or bulk tanks

As laser-welded dimple jacket supplier with a customized experience in heat transfer calculations for more than a 100 years, we are mainly specialized in the manufacturing of dimple jacketed tanks and reactor plates for process or storage tanks and pressure vessels. Thermal heat exchange surfaces are utilized on vessels for controlling temperature and quality of the contents of the vessel. Heat exchange surfaces can be designed either for heating or cooling. Jacketed vessels are used in many industries and can be used to remove the elevated heat of reaction (heat reactor vessel) or reduce the viscosity of high viscous fluids.

Most noteworthy there is no more homogeneous tempering than demonstrably formed by a complete enclosure of the product with an entire heat transfer surface as dimple jacket. In comparison to compact external thermal heat exchangers, favorable temperature differences result in a significantly better efficiency. At the same time, the products, especially beverages, are treated very gently. Laser-welded dimple jackets are mainly used as process tank plates such as for milk tanks, wine tanks, beer tanks, reactor vessels and pharmaceutical tanks.

The large dimple jacketed surface ensures safe process control with controlled homogeneous temperature control. As result, the dimple jacket design as tank cooling jacket allows the temperature control of products during other process steps. This saves a separate thermal process stage and often increases productivity and product quality. Manufactured tanks out of laser-welded dimple jackets have also less weight, because of less stainless steel material. Tanks can be manufactured cheaper by even higher product quality.

Laser-welded dimple jacket method of operation

Single embossed laser-welded dimple jackets are made of two metal sheets of different thickness welded together by using laser or resistance welding. By a special inflation process, fluid channels are created between the metal sheets . Together with the fittings (e.g. pipes with welded ends, flanges or threaded socket ends) these channels form a pressure chamber, through which a fluid will pass to transfer heat transfer to/from the room enclosing the Single embossed laser-welded dimple jacket. If the Laser-welded dimple jacket enclosing chamber is also a pressure chamber (vacuum or pressure > 0,5 bar above ambient) this has been considered in the design.

Single embossed laser-welded dimple jackets are integrated into process tank cooling and heating steps. Individual design in measurement, shape and material allow flexible use in numerous industries and extend the normal standard. Single embossed laser-welded dimple jackets may be rolled to a cylindrical half-jacket and be clamped on to existing tanks retroactively or being welded to rings to build a tank.

Complete cylinder tanks are made from laser welded panels, of those the profile have not been blown up then. The flow profile of the heat exchange panels will be blown up after the tank has been build, the later dimple plate tank or pressure vessel  inside is not damaged by the laser welding process. Surface treatments are generally no longer required. Any shape of cut-outs for pipes etc. can be foreseen. The closed-loop heating system of a jacketed vessel allows for great convenience in batching processes. Many industries require that a vessel be both heated and cooled as part of a single process; a well-designed jacket with a thermal fluid system is a seamless way to achieve the necessary temperatures.

Laser-welded dimple jacket advantages in comparison to half pipe or double wall manufacturing of process tanks

There are three main alternatives for the tankbuilding of process and bulk tanks: Laser-welded dimple jackets, double shell and hilf pipe manufacturing of tanks. Compared with double-jacket design or welded-on half-pipe coils, which occupy only about half of the surface, laser-welded dimple jacket plates are more effective and homogeneous, because they can occupy the entire surface. Above all, laser-welded dimple plates have less volume and allow thinner tank wall thicknesses.
Especially for the price comparison of the three alternatives, double shell  should not be discussed futher, because of too high wall thicknesses compared to competitive pricing. Pricewise, a half pipe welded process tank can be more than double as expensive compared to the laser-welded dimple jacket execution. Main price impacts for higher manufacturing prices with half pipes are higher wall thicknesses and welding times of the half pipes.

Assembly of Laser-welded dimple jackets

Laser-welded dimple jacket heat exchange plates are delivered either in the already inflated state or not yet inflated. In case the inflation of the fluid channels is carried out by customer any assist to follow the important steps can be given.
Laser-welded dimple jacket heat exchange plates have been designed, built and tested as a pressure equipment. They are supplied with a works certificate or if required by the European Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC are certified by CE labelling and a declaration of conformity. If agreed additional certificates can be issued. Details about the design, dimensions connections and authorised operational conditions are part of our delivery content.

Connection to process of Laser-welded dimple jackets

The connecting pipe work to the laser-welded dimple jacket has to be laid in a way to ensure that tensions due to thermal and mechanical expansion will not lead to damage of the plate connections. The weight of the connecting pipe work has to be supported by suitable supports, If not included in the scope of delivery, we recommend the use of expansion bends and/or expansion joints.
Connection seams that have to be welded to the connections have to be carried out and checked in accordance with valid and authorised welding procedures.
The fluid connection to the aser-welded dimple jacket is either by flanges, welding nozzles or screw pipe connections. Please note that the projected flow direction for the heat transfer fluid has to be adhered to. In case of screw connections these should be re-tightened during operational conditions after a certain operational period.  The heat exchange plates do not have any electric connection. During the operation of the laser-welded dimple jacket with liquids a venting facility for the plates, preferably above the upper piping, should be arranged, if the order related design does not include such a possibility. As per operation of the laser-welded dimple jacket with refrigerants an oil removal device should be installed via the lower pipe, if the refrigeration process makes this necessary and if the order related design of the plates had not considered such specification.

Laser-welded dimple jacket advantages

  • No expensive double shell or half pipe construction.
  • Less weight than half pipes.
  • No surface damage on the inside of the tank due to the laser-welding process.
  • No cost effective grinding or polishing of the tank inside.
  • Homogenious and conciliatory tempering of products
  • Long lifetime due to individually choosen materials
  • Any design possible according to application criteria or demand.
    Kind of weldings free programmable. Cut-outs for pipes, legs. etc.
  • Integration into vessels for mechanical and thermal doublefunction
  • Reliability

Laser-welded dimple jacket technical data

  • Sizes up to 14000 x 2000 mm
  • Cylinders made of one piece: diameter from 600 – 3800 mm
  • For conical, as well as for elliptical vessel heads
  • Up to 50 bar operating pressure
  • Wall thickness 0.8 – 1.5 mm with dimpled plates on the outer side
  • Up to 12 mm groundplate with single embossed dimple plate profile on the inner side

Laser-welded dimple jacket specifications

  • As a dimple jacket design for water, glycol, thermal oil or steam inside the dimple jacket
  • As tank cooling dimple jacket in form of dimple plates for all refrigerants
    used as pump- or gravity- or dry expansion system.
  • Channel design according to individual calculation by experienced engineers.
  • Carbon steel or stainless steel as: AISI 304, AISI 316L, AISI 316Ti up to titanium.
  • Surfaces: stained, ground, polished
  • Certificates according to TÜV , PED , TR CU (GOST) and ASME

Laser-welded dimple jacket applications and benefits

  • Homogenious tempering of liquids in process tanks such as in milk tanks, wine tanks, beer tanks, reactor vessels and pharmaceutical tanks.

For over 50 years BUCO tank plates and pressure vessel walls.

Talk with our engineers!

We have always assimilated engineering science and thermodynamics optimally in the various manufacturing processes.

Thermodynamicists,mechanical engineers and welding engineers define the dimensioning, design and construction of customised heat exchanger panels and systems in materials ranging from mild and austenitic steels through to titanium, and ensure successful distribution of their work worldwide.

In doing so they fall back on production engineering expertise and calculations developed in the course of the past hundred years that are still being continuously optimised in an ongoing process.

In the perception of our customers, the Buco product stands for:

  • Technical and process-oriented consulting
  • Thermodynamic efficiency
  • Quality and longevity
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