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Industries Served · Nuclear & NQA-1

Custom thermal equipment. Full QA discipline. No shortcuts.

For more than 140 years, Harris Thermal has fabricated heat exchangers, ASME pressure vessels, and custom thermal equipment for industry's most demanding applications. Today we support DOE contractors, utilities, SMR developers, and nuclear EPCs that require disciplined fabrication, material traceability, code compliance, and complete documentation packages.

Our History in Nuclear Fabrication

Nuclear fabrication experience that predates the current renaissance.

Harris Thermal's involvement in nuclear-related fabrication is not new. Over the years, our team has supported projects tied to DOE initiatives, research institutions, and other demanding regulated environments — work that requires the same documentation rigor, material traceability, and quality discipline that the nuclear supply chain demands today.

As investment in advanced reactors, SMR deployment, and nuclear infrastructure accelerates, we are positioned to support that growth on the foundation already in place — our fabrication history, our shop capability, and an NQA-1 quality assurance program.

Tall fabricated process column staged on multi-axle transport at Harris Thermal
140+ yrs
Thermal fabrication
ASME
Section VIII certified fabrication
DOE
Fabrication experience
NQA-1
Quality program in place
200,000 lb
Lift · 50,000 ft² facility
Fabrication Capability

What we can execute today.

Engineering and fabrication under one roof. In nuclear work, design changes, fit-up decisions, and material substitution questions don't wait for an email chain between two separate shops. Our in-house engineering team owns the thermal and mechanical design.

Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers

TEMA-standard and custom configurations for nuclear and nuclear-adjacent applications. Fixed tubesheet, floating head, U-tube, with bundle geometries engineered to your process data — not reverse-engineered from a catalog.

Pressure Vessels & Tanks

ASME Section VIII fabrication of reactors, separators, accumulators, surge tanks, and specialty vessels. Our engineers own the calculations, not just the weld procedures.

Packaged Thermal Systems

Multi-component equipment assemblies fit up in our shop — vessels, heat exchangers, and process piping aligned on a skid frame and shipped as a unit. When a single piece of equipment isn't what's needed, we fabricate the assembly around it.

Exotic & Difficult Materials

Inconel 625, Ti Gr. 12, AL-6XN, 2205 duplex, Hastelloy C-276, titanium, high-alloy stainless — with material certifications, qualified weld procedures, and heat-specific traceability as standard practice.

In-House Machining

Dedicated machining bay for tube sheet drilling, flange facing, nozzle prep, and precision fit-up without a secondary vendor — critical where chain-of-custody documentation matters.

Repairs & Rerates

Code-compliant repair of existing pressure equipment, including replacement exchangers and tube bundles for operating plants and outage-critical work.

Representative Nuclear & DOE Experience

A track record in demanding, regulated environments.

Mobile crane lifting a stainless steel vessel at the Harris Thermal fabrication facility
DOE Fabrication Experience

Hanford Waste Treatment Plant Vessel Fabrication Support

Harris Thermal has supported fabrication work tied to the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant — one of the largest environmental cleanup projects in the United States. Work of this nature demands stringent fabrication standards, documentation requirements, material control, and coordination within a highly regulated DOE environment.

DOE — More vessels arrive at Hanford WTP →
Top deck of a large fabricated tank staged at a waterfront site
Advanced Reactor Experience

Oregon State University Advanced Nuclear Test Facility

Harris Thermal has supported equipment fabrication connected to Oregon State University's advanced nuclear test facility — a project supporting development and validation of next-generation reactor technologies. This reflects the SMR thermal equipment and advanced reactor fabrication scope Harris Thermal is built to handle.

OSU — Construction begins on advanced nuclear test facility →
Nuclear Quality Assurance Program

QA isn't a checklist here. It's the operating system.

Nuclear supply chain quality requirements exist because the cost of a field failure — in dose exposure, downtime, regulatory scrutiny, and schedule — is orders of magnitude higher than the cost of getting it right in the shop. Harris Thermal has an NQA-1 quality assurance program in place, built on the quality systems that have supported regulated projects throughout our history. Contact our quality team to discuss project-specific qualification needs. Our quality control and inspection program and current certifications set out what we hold and how equipment is examined, tested and documented.

Quality System Framework

  • Controlled document & drawing revision system — every record tied to an approved revision
  • Material traceability to heat and lot — MTRs linked to specific weld joints and components
  • Qualified welding procedures & current welder qualification records
  • In-process inspection hold points with documented sign-off
  • Non-conformance reports with documented disposition — no verbal waivers
  • Final documentation packages: MTRs, weld maps, NDE, hydro test, QC sign-offs
  • Supplier qualification process for nuclear-grade procurements
  • Audit-ready records retention aligned with NQA-1 requirements

When you source a component from a shop with a mature nuclear quality assurance program, you're not just buying a piece of metal — you're buying a documentation trail that can survive a regulatory audit, an owner's inspection, and a design review years after delivery. Harris Thermal's NQA-1 quality assurance program is built on that foundation.

Technical Reading

Nuclear process equipment fabrication: NQA-1 quality assurance and traceability

What an NQA-1 program actually governs, how traceability flows from heat number to weld joint, and why a Code stamp and a nuclear quality program are two different things.

Read the article
Nuclear & Nuclear-Adjacent Applications

Equipment we're positioned to fabricate for this market.

These are application areas where our fabrication capability maps directly onto nuclear supply chain needs — not aspirational reach, but logical extensions of what we have built throughout our history.

  • Residual heat removal exchangers
  • Component cooling water systems
  • Spent fuel pool cooling equipment
  • Accumulators & surge tanks
  • SMR & advanced reactor components
  • DOE & research facility equipment
Pressure vessel and tube bundle fabricated by Harris Thermal
Sec. VIII
ASME certified base
Who We Work With

Built for organizations where schedule slip and quality escapes aren't options.

Nuclear EPCs

Balance-of-plant equipment with project-specific documentation and traceability requirements.

Utilities & Operating Plants

Replacement heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and outage-critical components.

SMR Developers

Engineering-integrated SMR thermal equipment fabrication for novel reactor systems.

DOE Contractors

Fabrication support for DOE cleanup, research facility, and regulated infrastructure programs.

Tier 1 Nuclear Suppliers

Subcontract fabrication with audit-ready QA records and material traceability.

Research Institutions

Custom thermal systems for national labs and advanced nuclear test facilities like OSU's.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from engineers, EPCs, utilities, and procurement teams.

Does Harris Thermal have an NQA-1 quality assurance program?

Yes. Harris Thermal has an NQA-1 quality assurance program in place for nuclear-grade fabrication. We have a documented history of supporting nuclear and DOE-related fabrication work under rigorous quality requirements. For project-specific qualification requirements, we encourage direct engagement with our quality team.

What types of nuclear projects can Harris Thermal support?

Harris Thermal is positioned to support balance-of-plant nuclear heat exchanger fabrication, ASME pressure vessels, custom thermal systems, and packaged equipment for nuclear EPCs, utilities, DOE contractors, SMR developers, and Tier 1 nuclear suppliers. Our scope centers on nuclear and nuclear-adjacent work — residual heat removal systems, component cooling water heat exchangers, spent fuel pool cooling equipment, secondary system vessels, and research facility thermal equipment — that does not require an ASME Section III N-Stamp.

Does Harris Thermal hold an ASME Section III N-Stamp?

No. Harris Thermal does not currently hold an ASME Section III N-Stamp. We are positioned around balance-of-plant equipment, nuclear-adjacent scope, and quality-assured fabrication that does not require N-Stamp certification. If your project requires N-Stamp fabrication, we will tell you directly and help you identify appropriate options rather than attempt work outside our qualified scope.

What types of equipment does Harris Thermal manufacture for nuclear applications?

Harris Thermal fabricates shell-and-tube heat exchangers, ASME pressure vessels, evaporators, condensers, packaged thermal systems, and custom process equipment for nuclear and nuclear-adjacent applications. Representative equipment types include residual heat removal heat exchangers, component cooling water systems, spent fuel pool cooling equipment, secondary system accumulators and surge tanks, and custom thermal systems for research facilities and advanced reactor programs.

Can Harris Thermal support advanced reactor and SMR projects?

Yes. Harris Thermal’s integrated engineering and fabrication model is well-suited for SMR thermal equipment and advanced reactor fabrication projects. These programs typically require a fabricator who can engage early in design, adapt to evolving specifications, build to tight tolerances, and deliver complete documentation packages. We have supported this type of work, and our NQA-1 quality assurance program aligns with the quality expectations of advanced reactor and SMR developers.

Can Harris Thermal support DOE and government-funded projects?

Yes. Harris Thermal has supported fabrication work tied to DOE initiatives including the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant and other regulated research and cleanup environments. Having supported DOE-related fabrication, we understand the documentation requirements, material control standards, and quality system expectations these projects demand. Our NQA-1 quality assurance program supports DOE contractors, national laboratory customers, and government-funded nuclear programs.

Evaluating NQA-1 fabrication suppliers? We're worth a technical conversation.

Bring your scope. We'll tell you honestly what fits our program and what doesn't — and give you a straight answer on what our team can execute.