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MONTAGE

Les tuyaux doivent être raccordés de manière à ce que la dilatation thermique 
n’affecte pas l’échangeur de chaleur au niveau des raccords. S’il existe un risque 
que la pression statique puisse dépasser la pression nominale, une soupape de 
sûreté doit être installée. Ne jamais exposer l’unité à des pulsations ou des 
variations cycliques excessives de la pression ou de la température. Il est 
également essentiel qu’aucune vibration ne soit transmise à l’échangeur de 
chaleur. Si un tel risque subsiste, installez des amortisseurs de vibrations. 
Utilisez une bande de montage en caoutchouc en guise d’amortisseur entre le 
Minex et la bride de fixation. Le sens de pose influe peu ou pas du tout sur le 
rendement du Minex.

Plusieurs solutions de montage du Minex SWEP sont illustrées ci-dessous.

a)

 

 

 

b)

 

 

c) 

 

d)

 

 

 

a) Supporté par la base
b) Tôle métallique de support (joint en caoutchouc entre la bride et l’échangeur)
c) Barre transversale et boulons (joint en caoutchouc entre la barre 

transversale et l’échangeur)

d) Pour un Minex plus petit, il est également possible de poser l’unité en la 

suspendant simplement aux conduites/raccords.

RACCORDS

Suivant les normes nationales/locales et l’application, il existe différentes options 
de raccordement. Il est important de disposer de raccords conformes à la norme 
internationale ou nationale, étant donné qu’ils ne sont pas toujours compatibles. 
La conception des raccords de Minex diffère quelque peu de celle des raccords 
de CBE.

Raccords à enclenchement

La plaque de bâti du Minex dispose de fentes 
spécialement conçues dans lesquelles les raccords 
peuvent être insérés. Lorsque le paquet de plaques est 
assemblé, les raccords sont verrouillés en position. 

Le verrouillage des raccords au bâti s’effectue sans 
soudure ni brasure des connexions. Cela signifie par la 
même occasion que le matériau des raccords et des 
bâtis peut être personnalisé suivant les préférences et 
les exigences du client, par ex. un bâti en acier au 
carbone anticorrosion combiné à des raccords en acier 
inoxydable peu coûteux d’un côté et des raccords en 
titane de l’autre.

Tous les raccords sont dotés d’un bouchon en plastique 
spécial destiné à protéger le raccord fileté et empêcher 
la pénétration de saleté dans le Minex. Ce bouchon en 
plastique doit être enlevé avec précaution, pour éviter 
d’endommager le filet, la surface d’étanchéité ou tout 
autre élément du raccord. Utilisez un tournevis, une 
pince ou un couteau.

Surface d’étanchéité

Raccords filetés

Exemples de raccords filetés: raccord fileté femelle/mâle, ISO-G, NPT, ISO 7/1

Raccords filetés à
l’extérieur (Mâles)

Raccords filetés à
l’intérieur (Femelle) ou
de type standard

Raccords filetés à
l’intérieur (Femelle) 
avec
un extérieur 
hexagonal

STRAINERS

If any of the media contain particles larger than 1 mm (0.04 inch), we recommend 
installing a strainer with a size of 16-20 mesh (number of openings per inch) 
before the exchanger. The particles could otherwise block the channels, causing 
bad performance, increased pressure drop and risk of corrosion. Some strainers 
can be ordered as accessories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTALLATION OF MINEX IN SINGLE-PHASE 
APPLICATIONS

Normally, the circuit with the highest temperature and/or 
pressure should be connected on the left side of the heat 
exchanger when the arrow points upwards. For example, 
in a typical water-to-water application, the two fluids are 
connected in a counter-current flow, i.e. F1 for the hot 
water inlet, F3 for the outlet, F4 for the cold-water inlet and 
F2 for the outlet. This is because the right-hand side of the 
heat exchanger contains one channel more than the left-
hand side, and the hot medium is thus surrounded by the 
cold medium to prevent heat loss.

F1

F2

F3

F4

Start-up

Make sure that the tightening measure (total plate package measurement) is 
correct according to the label on the heat exchanger. Close the pump discharge 
valves to the heat exchanger completely. The static pressure must be increased 
slowly until the operating pressure is reached, in order to not displace the 
gaskets. It is recommended that the inlet valves on both sides are opened 
simultaneously to avoid over-pressure on one side. It is also important to avoid 
hammering, as the elastomer gaskets may be displaced and thereby cause 
leakage.

Dismantling

The pressure on both sides should be decreased simultaneously and gradually 
when shutting down the unit. Remove the pipe work connected to the heat 
exchanger. The tightening bolts must be loosened with the frame and pressure 
plate as parallel as possible. This is most easily done with a hydraulic hand pump.

For M10:
Start to release the center nut and unscrew the bolt from the unit. NOTE! Do not 
punch the bolts through the plate package as this might damage the channel 
plates. Loosen the upper and lower tightening bolts max 2-3 mm (0.1 inch) at a 
time, in order to keep the plate package parallel.

Since the gaskets are not glued, try to keep the plate package together. Keep the 
unit lying on the back, P-side, and remove one plate at the time. The start gaskets 
are made of two half-channel plate gaskets and should be removed carefully and 
saved. On the M10 you also have a center ring gasket on each plate, which seals 
off the center-tightening bolthole. There is only one way to place the gasket in the 
groove. The start plate gaskets therefore have to be adjusted (with a pair of 
scissors) to fit in to the gasket groove. 

Start plate (4-hole) 
with gasket

Channel plate (4-hole) 
with gasket

End plate (0-hole) 
without gaskets

 

 

 

 

Assembly of plates

The plates should always be mounted with the gasket facing the front frame 
plate. Make sure the center ring gaskets are correctly located in the gasket 
groove in the middle of channel plate. In a single-pass unit, the start plate should 
always be mounted with the herringbone pattern pointing down, in the opposite 
direction of the arrow on the front of the frame. Make sure to alternate the channel 
plates so that every second plate has the arrow pointing up and on every second 
pointing down all through the plate package.

The bolts are short in order to decrease the outline dimensions. To be able to 
mount the nut on the bolt, we recommend using a screw clamp or similar tool to 
tighten the unit enough

After this tightening, the upper and lower bolt can easily 

be located in their holes. Take care that the plate package is not over-tightened as 
this might cause deformation of the plates and gaskets and thus affect the 
thermal performance. After dismantling and cleaning, always let the gaskets dry 
for 24 hours so they can revert to their original form before assembly. This 
procedure will prevent the risk of leakage and should not be ignored. The 
performance of the heat exchanger and the lifetime of the gaskets depend on the 
accuracy of the tightening. If leakage occurs when the plate pack is equal to the 
total plate package measurement, the gaskets should be replaced instead of 
further tightening.

Principle of assembly

There are a few differences such as number of plates, number of packages, 
placing of connections etc. when mounting different versions of Minex. The 
example below illustrates the assembly of a two-pass Minex.

Figure 1. When assembling the Minex, 
start with the last channel plate. The 
chevrons of the plate should point 
downwards. Alternate the channel 
plates so that every second plate has 
the arrow pointing up and every 
second pointing down all through the 
plate package.

Figure 2. A multi-pass unit has a 2-hole 
middle plate between the two plate 
packages.

Figure 3. When mounting the second 
plate package, the chevron on the first 
plate should point upwards. Alternate 
the channel plates as described in 
figure 1. Put the second plate package 
on top of the 2-hole plate. 

Figure 4. The start plate, which in this 
case is a 2-hole plate, should be placed 
next. Observe that this plate has a gasket 
covering all four corners. 

Figure 5. Put the connections into the 
designed slots in the front frame and 
place the frame on the top of the 
package with the arrow pointing up.

Figure 6. Turn the whole package upside-down and place the flat rubber gasket 
between the last channel plate and the end cover plate. Please note that the flat 
rubber gasket is used only for multi-pass units.

Figure 7. Put the two outer bolts and lock 
washers in place and use two screw 
clamps to tighten the unit in parallel. 
NOTE! If the bolt gets stuck, do not 
punch it through the plate package, as 
the channel plates can be damaged. 
The bolts must be screwed through the 
plate package. Finally, put the center 
bolt in place and do the final manual 
tightening in parallel.

Leakage

If there is leakage when the unit is cold but no signs of leakage during operation, 
no action needs be taken. If however there is leakage under normal operating 
conditions, the Minex unit should be further tightened. Checked that the unit is 
parallel and not out of alignment. Note that the total plate package measurement 
is the absolute limit! If the unit leaks when the total plate package measurement is 
reached, try to locate the leakage before disassembling in order to be able to pick 
out and correct the suspected damaged plates. The gaskets have to be replaced 
for all leaking plates. It is important that the frame and channel plates are parallel. 
If not, this might cause leakage.

Storage of gaskets

All gaskets are to be stored under appropriate conditions. Gaskets made of NBR 
have a shelf life of one year while EPDM gaskets may be stored for up to three 
years. This is valid for an assembled Minex as well as separate gaskets. These 
time limits are naturally not valid for a unit in service. In practice, the gasket's 
lifetime depends on the application and the gasket's exposure to variations in 
temperature, pressure and chemical influences, which means that it may affect 
the lifetime both positively and negatively. The reason for the restricted shelf life is 
that elastomers such as Nitrile and EPDM are oxidized in presence of O , O , UV-

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light etc. This oxidation causes the rubber to harden and ultimately leads to small 
cracks in the gaskets. 

CLEANING

Thanks to the high degree of turbulence in the Minex, there is a self-cleaning 
effect in the channels. However, in some applications the fouling tendency can be 
very high, e.g. when using extremely hard water at high temperatures. There are 
several different possibilities to clean the unit.

CIP cleaning (Cleaning In Place): Clean the exchanger by circulating a 
cleaning liquid. Use a tank with weak acid, 5% phosphoric acid or, if the 
exchanger is frequently cleaned, 5% oxalic acid. Pump the cleaning liquid 
through the exchanger. For optimum cleaning, the cleaning solution flow rate 
should be a minimum of 1.5 times the normal flow rate, preferably in a back-
flush mode. After use, do not forget to rinse the heat exchanger thoroughly 
with clean water. A solution of 1-2% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or sodium 
bicarbonate (NaHCO ) before the last rinse ensures that all acid is 

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neutralized. Clean at regular intervals.

Manual cleaning: Open the unit according to enclosed dismantling directions. 
When cleaning a multi-pass unit, make sure where the “2-hole” plate is 
located. Since the gaskets are unglued you can easily clean the plates. Use a 
fiber brush and water (do not use a steel brush or steel wool). Greasy 
deposits, e.g. oil, are removed with a soft brush and paraffin (kerosene). 
Organic deposits are removed with a soft brush and alkaline detergent (2% 
caustic soda, 50°C (122°F)). Precipitates of calcium components may be 
removed with either 10% nitric acid (HNO ) or 2% sodium 

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polymethaphosphat, 50°C (122°F), 2% sodium trimethaphosphate, 50°C 
(122°F), 5% EDTA. After cleaning, the heat exchanger should be thoroughly 
flushed with clean water. The gaskets, which have been deformed due to the 
tightening, have to dry for 24 hours to revert to their original form before 
assembly. This procedure will avoid the risk of leakage and should not be 
ignored. (Note! You may want to have a spare set of gaskets on hand so you 
don't have to wait 24 hours to re-assembly.)

Note that all acids and bases are hazardous and should be handled with great 
care.

For further information, please consult SWEP's CIP leaflet or your local SWEP 
representative.

WARRANTY

SWEP offers a 12-month warranty from the date of installation, but in no case 
longer than 15 months from the date of delivery. The warranty covers 
manufacturing and material defects.

DISCLAIMER

SWEP's Minex performance is based on installation, maintenance and operating 
conditions done in conformance with this manual. SWEP cannot assume any 
liability for Minex units that do not meet these criteria.

For further information, please consult SWEP's technical information or your 
local SWEP representative.

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