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Products & Services · ASME + TEMA

Shell & tube heat exchangers, engineered for your process.

High-turbulence, counter-flow designs in every configuration and size — designed, optimized, and proudly built in the United States by our in-house engineering and fabrication teams.

Why Harris Thermal

TEMA shell and tube heat exchangers, fabricated in-house to ASME standards.

Harris Thermal is a TEMA shell and tube heat exchanger manufacturer based in Newberg, Oregon, building custom exchangers to TEMA C, B, and R classes and ASME Section VIII since 1885 — in materials from carbon steel to titanium and zirconium. Shell and tube heat exchangers are the workhorses for heating and cooling large volumes of process fluids and gases. They deliver reliable heat transfer performance through high turbulence and counter flow across one or more passes — and Harris Thermal can supply turbulators to enhance efficiency further.

With over 140 years of experience — and because we produce all parts necessary for heat exchanger fabrication in-house — we can meet demanding design and quality criteria. Our engineering team partners with you to design and optimize a heat exchanger built for your exact process, timeline, and budget.

  • ASME & TEMA compliant designs
  • All configurations & sizes
  • 100% in-house part production
  • Turbulators for higher efficiency
  • In-house thermal engineering
  • Built in the USA
Tube bundle assembly at Harris Thermal
140+ yrs
Heat transfer experience
Configurations & Specialties

One platform, many specialized designs.

From evaporators to kettle reboilers, we fabricate the full family of shell-and-tube equipment in a wide variety of configurations and materials.

Evaporators & Crystallization Plants

Whenever water or solvent must be removed, concentration increased, or pure crystals produced, our custom evaporators and crystallizers meet the most exacting process requirements — in all configurations and sizes.

Falling Film Evaporators

The most widely used evaporator in the process industry. These brine concentrators deliver efficient heat transfer, high-purity distillate, and water recovery greater than 90% — driven by mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) or live steam.

Crystallizers

Meet stringent zero liquid discharge (ZLD) requirements by concentrating brine into clean water and solid salt crystals — with dissolved salts sometimes recovered as valuable by-products.

Formaldehyde Converters

Formaldehyde is a key raw material for melamine, urea-formaldehyde, and phenolic resins. We have fabricated formaldehyde converters for both silver-catalyst and Formox processes for many years.

Fry Oil Heaters

Harris Thermal supplies heat exchangers to the potato processing industry — efficient, easy-to-maintain systems for both frying and blanching, delivering maximum production with minimum waste.

Kettle Reboilers

Simple and reliable, kettle reboilers handle vaporization of up to 80% and are easy to maintain thanks to a removable tube bundle — with an overflow weir keeping the bundle covered for consistent operation.

Had fast-food french fries lately?

Then you've likely experienced a Harris heat exchanger. We've worked with the major potato processors of the Pacific Northwest on both their frying and blanching processes for decades.

$450M/yr
Pacific NW potato crops
$3B+/yr
Processed french fries
Frequently Asked Questions

Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger FAQs

What is a TEMA shell and tube heat exchanger?

A TEMA heat exchanger is a shell and tube exchanger built to the standards of the Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association, which define design styles, machining tolerances, and assembly criteria. TEMA designations describe the front head, shell, and rear head (for example, a “BEM” configuration). Harris Thermal fabricates exchangers to TEMA Class C (general service), Class B (chemical service), and Class R (refinery service).

What industries use shell and tube heat exchangers?

Nearly every process industry: oil and gas refining, power generation, pulp and paper, chemical processing, food processing, water treatment and desalination, mining, and LNG. Harris Thermal has supplied exchangers for everything from refinery service to fry oil heating for the potato processing industry.

What materials can a shell and tube heat exchanger be made from?

Harris Thermal fabricates exchangers in carbon steel, stainless steels, duplex and super duplex, 6-Moly alloys, high-nickel alloys (Inconel, Hastelloy, Monel), titanium, zirconium, and clad materials. Material selection depends on the corrosivity, temperature, and pressure of your process fluids.

How long does a shell and tube heat exchanger last?

With correct metallurgy and regular maintenance, 20 to 30 years or more is common. Service life depends on materials of construction, fouling and corrosion rates, thermal cycling, and maintenance practices. Because Harris Thermal exchangers use removable bundles where appropriate, they can also be re-tubed to extend life rather than replaced.

What is the difference between a falling film evaporator and a standard heat exchanger?

A falling film evaporator is a vertical shell-and-tube exchanger where liquid flows down the tube walls as a thin film, enabling efficient evaporation at low temperature differences. They are widely used for brine concentration, wastewater minimization, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems, achieving water recovery greater than 90%.

Do you provide thermal design or only fabrication?

Both. Harris Thermal’s in-house engineers perform complete thermal design and optimization using Aspen Exchanger Design & Rating, plus mechanical design to ASME Section VIII — so you can come to us with nothing more than process conditions and receive an optimized, code-stamped exchanger.

Ready to spec your heat exchanger?

Send us your process conditions and our engineers will design a shell & tube solution optimized for your application, timeline, and budget.