Ekström & Son - Pressure Vessels, Columns and Shell Tube Heat Exchangers

Originally starting out with household vessels made from copper, Ekström & Son is now one of Europe's leading manufacturers of pressure vessels, columns, and shell and tube heat exchangers. We serve the chemical and petrochemical industry, offshore, pulp and paper, food and pharmaceuticals, nuclear power plants and distilleries.

Distillation and absorption columns, heat exchangers and pressure vessels

Our main area of expertise is in the production of distillation and absorption columns, shell and tube heat exchangers and pressure vessels. Each project we work on is completely unique and each construction is adapted to the clients specific process needs.

We also undertake contract welding and machine processing. Ekström & Son is the dedicated manufacturer for a multinational corporation and product companies including Aqua-Nova and Nordheat. We also have a team for installing and servicing customer equipment.

Air pre-heaters for the carbon black industry

Edmeston's (previously part of the Sandvik Group) business unit, Carbon Black, was acquired by Ekström & Son in 2007.

Due to high oil prices, the current payback time on air pre-heating investments is six months shorter when pre-heating to 800°C than 650°C. Compared to a pre-heating of 650°C, 800°C pre-heating decreases fuel costs by 25%, increasing the production rate by 20% and giving a 3% higher carbon black yield.

Ekström & Son offers two types of pre-heaters: a double shell version and a single shell version, with the double shell solution offering a significantly lower rate of fouling.

We have delivered more than 20 pre-heaters to Edmeston. The sizes of current deliveries have been up to 144 tubes for a pre-heating of 800°C. A model for 900°C pre-heating is also available. The choice of materials is based on materials for high temperatures, e.g. 253MA for tubes.

Helically-baffled shell and tube heat exchangers

The HelixChanger™ is a helically-baffled shell and tube heat exchanger. Each baffle occupies about one quadrant of the cross section and has a certain inclination with the centreline of the exchanger. Please click on the link below to find out more.

Successive baffles are arranged in such a way as to create continuous helical and near plug-flow conditions on the shell side.

Back-flushing valves for plate heat exchangers

Fouling (especially bio-fouling) and clogging of plate heat exchangers causes huge problems for industry and this can be prevented by using the Ekstöm & Son back-flushing valve.

Our back-flushing valve consists of two end plates and a cylindrical shell that form a vessel, and inside there is a valve body with four alternative flow paths. The valve body can be turned 90°; in normal position the fluid goes straight through the valve body and in the back-flushing position the fluid goes through two crossing flow paths.

An important advantage of our back-flushing valve is that the risk of ‘water hammer’ is eliminated. The design of the valve body gives a smooth turning of the flow, no matter how quick the valve body is switched over.

Heat exchangers for chemicals applications

Our heat exchangers are used for the most variable applications, principally in the chemical and petrochemical industry. We specialise in tailor-made units that are optimised according to application and the customer's requirements.

As the applications are so varied, we have to deal with many different media such as air, fresh water, salt water, steam oils and the whole spectrum of process solutions. We can also replace and re-tube an existing heat exchanger.

Shells and complete columns

We design and manufacture shells for columns as well as complete columns with valve trays, bubble cap trays and packed columns. Platforms, ladders, etc. can also be included in the delivery. Mechanical design as well as wind load and earthquake calculations can be carried out where required.

Pressure vessels

We construct and manufacture most types of pressure vessel, including those with or without jackets, for outside cooling / heating coils of half tube section, with agitators, inner coils and baffles.

Maintenance and quality-assured pressure vessels and heat exchangers

Ekström & Son increasingly assists customers with maintenance in relation to production stops.

Among others, we are certified in accordance with:

• ASME U-stamp
• China-stamp (manufacture license for special equipment, China, pressure vessels A2)
• Hp0 (welding certification according to the German system AD2000)
• Achilles (off-shore certification according to Denmark and Norway)
• ISO 9001-2008 with EN 3834 (quality assurance for welding)