Heat Exchangers Shipping
Heat Exchanger & Pressure Equipment Transport
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Ship Your Heat Exchangers
Get expert advice on the best shipping solution for your equipment.
Related Equipment
Overview
Heat exchangers range from small process units to massive refinery exchangers weighing hundreds of tons. Each requires careful handling to protect tubes, shells, and connections.
We handle shell and tube, plate, air-cooled, and specialized heat exchangers for refineries, power plants, and chemical facilities.
Our rigging expertise ensures safe loading and transport of these critical process components.
Typical Specifications
| Weight Range | 10 - 300+ metric tons |
| Length | 5m - 50m+ |
| Diameter | 1m - 6m |
| Types | Shell & tube, ACHE, plate |
Recommended Shipping Methods
Flat Rack Container
RecommendedFor smaller exchangers within limits.
Breakbulk
RecommendedFor large process exchangers.
Heavy Haul Trucking
RecommendedStandard for most sizes.
Barge
For waterfront plant access.
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
We quote in this order because it is usually cheapest first. Most machines that look too big for a box fit once our crew takes off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels; larger ones are taken further apart across several containers, and pieces too big or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer go breakbulk.
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Handling & Preparation Requirements
- Nozzle protection
- Bundle support requirements
- Lifting lug certification
- Pressure test documentation
- End closure security
- Support saddle protection
Common Models We Ship
Frequently Asked Questions
How are tube bundles protected?
Bundles are supported internally, nozzles are capped, and the unit may be nitrogen purged for long storage.
Can exchangers ship vertically?
Some can, depending on design. Most ship horizontally with proper saddle support.
Do you handle air-cooled exchangers?
Yes, including the frame, tube bundles, fans, and structural steel as separate or assembled units.
Plan your shipment
Import Duty & Tax Estimator
Estimate duty and VAT on the CIF value for 70+ destinations.
Dimensional Weight Calculator
Work out chargeable weight before you book.
Container Space Calculator
See how your cargo fits in 20ft, 40ft, and HC containers.
Route Finder
Load port, sailings, duty and rules for a machine and destination.
Ready to Ship Your Heat Exchangers?
Get a customized quote for your equipment. Our experts handle heat exchangers shipments worldwide.