Free Flow Plate Heat Exchanger | SonFlow

Name: Free Flow Plate Heat Exchanger | SonFlow
Brand: SonFlow
SKU: Free Flow Plate Heat Exchanger | SonFlow

SonFlow Free Flow Plate Heat Exchangers

SonFlow Free Flow plate heat exchangers are designed with gaskets for fluids that pose a higher risk of fouling or blockage in conventional plates. The plate geometry creates wider flow channels without contact points in the flow direction, allowing passage of liquids with fibers, solid particles, or increased viscosity. The gap between plates can reach up to 12 mm, depending on the plate type.

Technical Construction

Series: SFF51, SFF101, SFF151, SFF204/SFF207, SFF301.
Design Pressure: up to 10 bar.
Operating Temperature: up to 180 °C.
Plates: AISI 304, AISI 316, or titanium.
Gaskets: NBR, EPDM, or Viton, click-on without adhesive.
Frame: painted RAL 5010 or stainless steel, depending on series.
Connections: DN50 to DN200, carbon steel or rubber-lined flanges, dairy pipes/unions where required.

High / Low Configuration

The SFF151 and SFF301 series utilize "SonFlow HIGH" and "SonFlow LOW" plates. Their combination allows channel configurations of 12/6 mm or 9/9 mm, useful for balancing viscosity, flow rate, pressure drop, and thermal transfer.

Applications

Suitable for food industries, dairy, juices, sugar, biogas, wastewater, paper industry, and mining. Used in heating, cooling, or heat recovery from products with fibers, pulps, suspended solids, or increased fouling tendency.

Standards and Maintenance

Technical brochures indicate construction according to EN 13445 and ASME Section VIII Div. 1. The gasket design allows opening for inspection, mechanical cleaning, CIP, and gasket replacement. Temperature control is external, using a control valve, three-way valve, pump inverter, or PLC/BMS.

FAQ

When to choose Free Flow over conventional plates?
When the fluid contains fibers, solids, or has high viscosity, requiring a larger flow channel.

What should be checked in selection?
Flow rate, viscosity, particle size, allowable pressure drop, temperature, plate material, gasket material, and cleaning requirements.

Datasheet and documents

Description

For fibres, particles and high viscous products

SonFlow’s new Free Flow plate heat exchanger series is ideally suited for difficult media containing solids, particles, fibres, and high viscous products. The Free Flow plates corrugation is designed for special tasks, where the conventional plate heat exchanger usually has a higher risk of fouling or clogging.

For the Free Flow plate series, the key focus lies in reliability and high performance. If the plate heat exchanger is not suited for the operating media, the intervals between maintenance and the risk of fouling are increased.

An optimized flow distribution

An optimized flow distribution reduces fouling and uneven temperature zones, keeping the performance levels high over time without unnecessary energy losses, maintenance costs, or unplanned stops.

Features

Every detail is designed carefully to ensure optimal heat transfer, reduced maintenance costs and decreased downtime.

Plates

The wide channels provide enough room for difficult media to flow freely. The pattern of horizontal waves maintains no plate contact points in the flow direction, ensuring gentle treatment of the output product.

The clearance between the heat transfer plates measures up to 12 mm gab depending on the plate type.

High and Low

The SonFlow SFF151 and SFF301 Free Flow Plate Heat Exchanger is specially designed to mix both viscosity and flow. The design consists of two different plate patterns: “SonFlow HIGH” and “SonFlow LOW”, which can be assembled for either 12/6 mm or 9/9 mm plate gab.

Designed to meet your needs

Our extensive range ensures that we can offer the best solution at the best price and, if required, combine several different types of heat exchangers to ensure that you get the best possible solution.

Free Flow Plate Heat Exchanger Industries:

Dairy/food/beverage industry
Sugar industry
Biogas industry
Wastewater industry
Pulp and paper industry
Mining industry

Free Flow Plate Heat Exchanger Benefits:

Suitable for media containing solids, particles, fibres and high viscous products
The wide channels enable efficient flow and heat transfer
Free Flow gap without contact points minimize the risk of fouling and clogging