Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Size and Outlook 2031

Report Description

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 10.63 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	6.56%
Fastest Growing Segment	Welded
Largest Market	Europe
Market Size (2031)	USD 15.56 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market will grow from USD 10.63 Billion in 2025 to USD 15.56 Billion by 2031 at a 6.56% CAGR. Plate and frame heat exchangers are thermal management devices consisting of a series of corrugated metal plates clamped together to facilitate efficient heat transfer between two fluids. The global market for these components is primarily driven by the escalating enforcement of industrial energy efficiency regulations and the expansion of the chemical processing sector. This demand is evidenced by recent industrial activity; according to VDMA, in 2024, incoming orders in the chemical plant engineering sector rose by 44 percent to 363 million euros. Such data indicates a strong trajectory for capital equipment procurement, directly supporting the adoption of thermal transfer technologies.

Despite this growth, the market faces a significant challenge regarding the mechanical limitations of gasketed designs in extreme operating environments. These exchangers are susceptible to leakage and gasket degradation when subjected to high pressures or temperatures, which restricts their utility compared to robust shell and tube alternatives. Furthermore, the potential for fouling within the narrow plate channels necessitates frequent maintenance and downtime, creating a substantial barrier to broader market expansion in industries handling viscous or particulate-laden fluids.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of district heating and cooling infrastructure is a primary catalyst for the Global Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger Market, particularly as governments prioritize decarbonization through centralized energy systems. These networks utilize plate heat exchangers to efficiently transfer thermal energy between central sources—such as waste heat from industrial plants or renewable installations—and residential or commercial grid connections. The scalability of these systems allows for the integration of diverse low-carbon energy sources, directly boosting demand for modular heat transfer units to manage the load. According to Euroheat & Power, June 2024, in the 'DHC Market Outlook 2024', the number of connections to district heating systems increased by 5.5% across the EU's largest markets, underscoring the resilience and growing penetration of these thermal networks.

Simultaneously, the strict implementation of global energy efficiency mandates is compelling heavy industries to overhaul their thermal management strategies, creating substantial demand for high-performance heat exchangers. Sectors such as chemical processing and power generation are increasingly adopting plate and frame designs to maximize waste heat recovery and reduce overall energy consumption in compliance with rigorous environmental standards. This regulatory pressure is translating into tangible market activity; according to Hisaka Works, May 2024, in their 'Financial Results Briefing Materials', the company's Heat Exchanger Segment recorded orders of 16,900 million yen for the fiscal year ended March 2024, marking a 20.2% increase driven by large-scale energy projects. Broadening this trend to the wider climate solutions landscape, Danfoss, in March 2024, reported that its full-year 2023 sales grew by 7% to EUR 10.7 billion, reflecting the sustained global investment in energy-efficient technologies.

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Key Market Challenges

The primary impediment to the expansion of the global plate and frame heat exchanger market is the inherent mechanical vulnerability of gasketed designs when exposed to extreme operational parameters. Unlike robust shell and tube configurations, these units rely on elastomeric gaskets that are prone to degradation and leakage under high-pressure or high-temperature conditions. This physical limitation severely restricts their application in capital-intensive sectors such as oil and gas or heavy chemical processing, where equipment reliability is paramount. Consequently, industrial buyers often default to alternative thermal transfer technologies for critical service lines to avoid catastrophic failure risks, effectively capping the total addressable market for plate-based solutions.

Furthermore, the narrow flow channels characteristic of this design increase the susceptibility to fouling, necessitating frequent interruptions for cleaning and maintenance. This operational inefficiency becomes a critical deterrent in an economic climate where asset optimization is prioritized and unplanned downtime is unacceptable. This sensitivity to operational continuity is highlighted by recent industry performance; according to the Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI), in December 2024, production plant capacity utilization in the chemical-pharmaceutical sector averaged only 75 percent, leading many manufacturers to freeze investment budgets. In such a cost-constrained environment, the recurrent operational expenditures associated with gasket maintenance and fouling removal significantly reduce the attractiveness of plate and frame units, thereby hampering their broader market adoption.

Key Market Trends

The Adoption of Hygienic Plate Designs in Sanitary Applications is rapidly accelerating as the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors demand specialized thermal equipment to meet rigorous safety standards. Unlike standard industrial units, these heat exchangers feature crevice-free plate geometries and electropolished surfaces to prevent bacterial contamination and facilitate clean-in-place (CIP) protocols. This sector-specific surge is distinct from general industrial demand, driven by consumer consumption patterns rather than infrastructure projects. According to GEA Group, November 2024, in the 'Q3 2024 Quarterly Statement', order intake in the Separation & Flow Technologies division rose organically by 13.4% year-over-year, a performance explicitly attributed to robust demand from the dairy, beverage, and food processing industries.

Simultaneously, Advancements in Plate Corrugation and Pattern Geometries are redefining market capabilities by maximizing thermal efficiency while minimizing fluid volume. Manufacturers are engineering novel chevron angles and pressing depths to enhance turbulence at lower flow rates, which significantly reduces the required charge of expensive or environmentally sensitive working fluids. This technological evolution directly addresses sustainability goals by lowering the lifecycle footprint of thermal systems. For instance, according to Kelvion, November 2024, in the press release 'From data centres to heat pumps: Kelvion's new GB 790 sets a new standard in energy efficiency and sustainability', the company's latest plate heat exchanger model requires up to 40% less refrigerant compared to previous generations due to its optimized H-embossing plate design.

Segmental Insights

The Welded segment is projected to be the fastest-growing category in the Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market. This trend is primarily driven by the segment's superior ability to withstand high pressures and extreme temperatures, conditions where traditional gasketed models often face limitations. The welded design eliminates the use of gaskets, effectively negating the risk of leakage and making these units essential for handling hazardous or aggressive fluids in the chemical and petrochemical industries. Consequently, industrial sectors are increasingly adopting welded exchangers to ensure operational safety, durability, and reduced maintenance requirements.

Regional Insights

Europe holds the leading position in the Global Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger Market due to extensive industrialization and strict environmental mandates. The region prioritizes energy optimization within the chemical, power generation, and food and beverage sectors. This demand is heavily influenced by the European Union and its Energy Efficiency Directive, which requires industries to integrate energy-saving components to reduce carbon footprints. Additionally, the widespread implementation of district heating infrastructure across the continent sustains the need for effective heat transfer mechanisms, further solidifying Europe's status as the primary regional market.

Recent Developments

In September 2025, Danfoss launched a new range of hygienic gasketed plate heat exchangers specifically engineered for the food and beverage industry. The company stated that these units were designed to meet stringent hygiene standards, utilizing FDA-compliant materials for applications such as dairy pasteurization and brewery heating. A key feature of this release was the modular frame design, which allowed components to be flipped and rotated, thereby simplifying assembly and reducing delivery times. Additionally, a frame extender was introduced to minimize the equipment's footprint and facilitate easier service and maintenance in space-constrained facilities.
In November 2024, Alfa Laval introduced the T25, a semi-welded plate heat exchanger developed to support the global transition to clean energy. This product was optimized for high-performance applications, including green hydrogen production, renewable energy storage, and industrial heat pumps. The company highlighted that the T25 offered a compact design with high thermal capacity, addressing the specific pressure drop limitations often encountered in hydrogen gas cooling. By maximizing energy efficiency and reuse, the heat exchanger aimed to lower the levelized cost of hydrogen and support decarbonization efforts across various heavy industries.
In May 2024, Tranter announced a strategic partnership with Hexxcell Ltd. to advance the monitoring and predictive maintenance of industrial plate and frame heat exchangers. This collaboration combined Tranter's extensive service expertise with Hexxcell's hybrid-AI digital twin technology to provide plant operators with real-time performance insights. The joint solution enabled users to identify operational inefficiencies and receive prescriptive maintenance recommendations, which helped reduce unplanned downtime and extend the equipment's lifecycle. The company emphasized that this digital approach would drive significant cost savings and sustainability improvements for their customers.
In March 2024, SPX FLOW released the Automated FastFrame™ for its APV brand of plate heat exchangers, a new frame system designed to improve operational efficiency. The company engineered this automated solution to open and close the heat exchanger plates with the push of a button, replacing the traditional manual process that could take hours. This innovation ensured consistent tightening of the plate pack, reduced the risk of leaks, and significantly decreased downtime required for cleaning and maintenance. The product was positioned as a major time-saving upgrade for industries such as food and beverage processing.

Key Market Players

Alfa Laval
Danfoss
Kelvion Holding GmbH
Guntner GmbH & Co. KG
Xylem, Inc.
API Heat Transfer, Inc.
Hisaka Works Limited
HRS Heat Exchangers
SPX Flow, Inc.
SWEP International AB

By Product	By End-User	By Region
Brazed Gasketed Welded Others	Chemical Food & Beverage HVAC & Refrigeration Oil & Gas Power Generation Pulp & Paper Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market, By Product:

Brazed
Gasketed
Welded
Others

Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market, By End-User:

Chemical
Food & Beverage
HVAC & Refrigeration
Oil & Gas
Power Generation
Pulp & Paper
Others

Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market, By Region:

North America

United States
Canada
Mexico

Europe

France
United Kingdom
Italy
Germany
Spain

Asia Pacific

China
India
Japan
Australia
South Korea

South America

Brazil
Argentina
Colombia

Middle East & Africa

South Africa
Saudi Arabia
UAE

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market.

Available Customizations:

Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market report with the given market data, TechSci Research offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market is an upcoming report to be released soon. If you wish an early delivery of this report or want to confirm the date of release, please contact us at [email protected]

Table of content

1. Product Overview

1.1. Market Definition

1.2. Scope of the Market

1.2.1. Markets Covered

1.2.2. Years Considered for Study

1.2.3. Key Market Segmentations

2. Research Methodology

2.1. Objective of the Study

2.2. Baseline Methodology

2.3. Key Industry Partners

2.4. Major Association and Secondary Sources

2.5. Forecasting Methodology

2.6. Data Triangulation & Validation

2.7. Assumptions and Limitations

3. Executive Summary

3.1. Overview of the Market

3.2. Overview of Key Market Segmentations

3.3. Overview of Key Market Players

3.4. Overview of Key Regions/Countries

3.5. Overview of Market Drivers, Challenges, Trends

4. Voice of Customer

5. Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

5.1. Market Size & Forecast

5.1.1. By Value

5.2. Market Share & Forecast

5.2.1. By Product (Brazed, Gasketed, Welded, Others)

5.2.2. By End-User (Chemical, Food & Beverage, HVAC & Refrigeration, Oil & Gas, Power Generation, Pulp & Paper, Others)

5.2.3. By Region

5.2.4. By Company (2025)

5.3. Market Map

6. North America Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

6.1. Market Size & Forecast

6.1.1. By Value

6.2. Market Share & Forecast

6.2.1. By Product

6.2.2. By End-User

6.2.3. By Country

6.3. North America: Country Analysis

6.3.1. United States Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

6.3.1.1. Market Size & Forecast

6.3.1.1.1. By Value

6.3.1.2. Market Share & Forecast

6.3.1.2.1. By Product

6.3.1.2.2. By End-User

6.3.2. Canada Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

6.3.2.1. Market Size & Forecast

6.3.2.1.1. By Value

6.3.2.2. Market Share & Forecast

6.3.2.2.1. By Product

6.3.2.2.2. By End-User

6.3.3. Mexico Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

6.3.3.1. Market Size & Forecast

6.3.3.1.1. By Value

6.3.3.2. Market Share & Forecast

6.3.3.2.1. By Product

6.3.3.2.2. By End-User

7. Europe Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

7.1. Market Size & Forecast

7.1.1. By Value

7.2. Market Share & Forecast

7.2.1. By Product

7.2.2. By End-User

7.2.3. By Country

7.3. Europe: Country Analysis

7.3.1. Germany Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

7.3.1.1. Market Size & Forecast

7.3.1.1.1. By Value

7.3.1.2. Market Share & Forecast

7.3.1.2.1. By Product

7.3.1.2.2. By End-User

7.3.2. France Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

7.3.2.1. Market Size & Forecast

7.3.2.1.1. By Value

7.3.2.2. Market Share & Forecast

7.3.2.2.1. By Product

7.3.2.2.2. By End-User

7.3.3. United Kingdom Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

7.3.3.1. Market Size & Forecast

7.3.3.1.1. By Value

7.3.3.2. Market Share & Forecast

7.3.3.2.1. By Product

7.3.3.2.2. By End-User

7.3.4. Italy Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

7.3.4.1. Market Size & Forecast

7.3.4.1.1. By Value

7.3.4.2. Market Share & Forecast

7.3.4.2.1. By Product

7.3.4.2.2. By End-User

7.3.5. Spain Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

7.3.5.1. Market Size & Forecast

7.3.5.1.1. By Value

7.3.5.2. Market Share & Forecast

7.3.5.2.1. By Product

7.3.5.2.2. By End-User

8. Asia Pacific Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

8.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.1.1. By Value

8.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.2.1. By Product

8.2.2. By End-User

8.2.3. By Country

8.3. Asia Pacific: Country Analysis

8.3.1. China Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

8.3.1.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.3.1.1.1. By Value

8.3.1.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.3.1.2.1. By Product

8.3.1.2.2. By End-User

8.3.2. India Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

8.3.2.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.3.2.1.1. By Value

8.3.2.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.3.2.2.1. By Product

8.3.2.2.2. By End-User

8.3.3. Japan Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

8.3.3.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.3.3.1.1. By Value

8.3.3.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.3.3.2.1. By Product

8.3.3.2.2. By End-User

8.3.4. South Korea Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

8.3.4.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.3.4.1.1. By Value

8.3.4.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.3.4.2.1. By Product

8.3.4.2.2. By End-User

8.3.5. Australia Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

8.3.5.1. Market Size & Forecast

8.3.5.1.1. By Value

8.3.5.2. Market Share & Forecast

8.3.5.2.1. By Product

8.3.5.2.2. By End-User

9. Middle East & Africa Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

9.1. Market Size & Forecast

9.1.1. By Value

9.2. Market Share & Forecast

9.2.1. By Product

9.2.2. By End-User

9.2.3. By Country

9.3. Middle East & Africa: Country Analysis

9.3.1. Saudi Arabia Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

9.3.1.1. Market Size & Forecast

9.3.1.1.1. By Value

9.3.1.2. Market Share & Forecast

9.3.1.2.1. By Product

9.3.1.2.2. By End-User

9.3.2. UAE Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

9.3.2.1. Market Size & Forecast

9.3.2.1.1. By Value

9.3.2.2. Market Share & Forecast

9.3.2.2.1. By Product

9.3.2.2.2. By End-User

9.3.3. South Africa Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

9.3.3.1. Market Size & Forecast

9.3.3.1.1. By Value

9.3.3.2. Market Share & Forecast

9.3.3.2.1. By Product

9.3.3.2.2. By End-User

10. South America Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

10.1. Market Size & Forecast

10.1.1. By Value

10.2. Market Share & Forecast

10.2.1. By Product

10.2.2. By End-User

10.2.3. By Country

10.3. South America: Country Analysis

10.3.1. Brazil Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

10.3.1.1. Market Size & Forecast

10.3.1.1.1. By Value

10.3.1.2. Market Share & Forecast

10.3.1.2.1. By Product

10.3.1.2.2. By End-User

10.3.2. Colombia Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

10.3.2.1. Market Size & Forecast

10.3.2.1.1. By Value

10.3.2.2. Market Share & Forecast

10.3.2.2.1. By Product

10.3.2.2.2. By End-User

10.3.3. Argentina Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market Outlook

10.3.3.1. Market Size & Forecast

10.3.3.1.1. By Value

10.3.3.2. Market Share & Forecast

10.3.3.2.1. By Product

10.3.3.2.2. By End-User

11. Market Dynamics

11.1. Drivers

11.2. Challenges

12. Market Trends & Developments

12.1. Merger & Acquisition (If Any)

12.2. Product Launches (If Any)

12.3. Recent Developments

13. Global Plate And Frame Heat Exchanger Market: SWOT Analysis

14. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

14.1. Competition in the Industry

14.2. Potential of New Entrants

14.3. Power of Suppliers

14.4. Power of Customers

14.5. Threat of Substitute Products

15. Competitive Landscape

15.1. Alfa Laval

15.1.1. Business Overview

15.1.2. Products & Services

15.1.3. Recent Developments

15.1.4. Key Personnel

15.1.5. SWOT Analysis

15.2. Danfoss

15.3. Kelvion Holding GmbH

15.4. Guntner GmbH & Co. KG

15.5. Xylem, Inc.

15.6. API Heat Transfer, Inc.

15.7. Hisaka Works Limited

15.8. HRS Heat Exchangers

15.9. SPX Flow, Inc.

15.10. SWEP International AB

16. Strategic Recommendations

17. About Us & Disclaimer

Report Description

Table of content

Figures and Tables

Frequently asked questions

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