Alfa Laval Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers
The Alfa Laval Contherm™ Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers (SSHE) are designed for heating, cooling, sterilizing, crystallizing, pasteurizing and freezing viscous, sticky and heat-sensitive products. Unlike traditional exchangers that foul quickly, Contherm ensures gentle product handling, uniform heat transfer and extended uptime, making it a proven solution for the food, personal care, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Models available: Contherm, Contherm Core, Contherm Select, Contherm Max, Contherm Evaporator, Contherm Max Evaporator.
Applications of Alfa Laval Contherm SSHE
Food and Beverage: sauces, purees, soups, condiments, dairy, beverages
High-Acid Foods: fruit fillings, jams, concentrates
Personal Care and Health: creams, lotions, gels
Chemical and Industrial: adhesives, biofuels, polymers
Pharmaceutical and Bioprocessing: viscous APIs, controlled crystallization
Scraped Surface Evaporator (Convap): concentration of viscous products under vacuum
Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers Features and Enhancements
Handles sticky, viscous or particulate products without fouling
Food safety upgrades with detectable polymer scraping blades
Tangential head option (3 inch) for sanitary food applications
Alfaloy cylinder coating for wear and chemical resistance
ConthermFlex upgrade service for older scraped surface units
Larger Contherm 6 x 11 with more surface area and higher capacity
Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers Operating Parameters
Product side temperature: -30°F to +338°F
Media side temperature: -30°F to +338°F
Product side pressure: up to 300 psig and full vacuum
Media side pressure: up to 250 psig
Connections: DIN, Tri-Clamp, SMS, NPT or flange (2.0 to 3.0 inch)
Materials and Design
Heating surface: 316L stainless steel, high-polish finish
Scraping blades: Alfalon III, Nylon, Teflon
Seal options: single carbon, aseptic, hard-face combinations
Mounting: vertical standard, horizontal optional
Rotor diameters: 3, 4, 5, or 14.5 inch
Compliance: USDA, 3-A, ASME, PED
Product enters at the bottom and flows upwards. Heating or cooling media flows in counter-current. Rotating blades continuously scrape the cylinder walls to maintain heat transfer and product quality. Product exits at the top.
For evaporation, the Convap module operates under vacuum with mechanical agitation, separating concentrate from vapor efficiently.
Optional Features
Horizontal mounting for limited ceiling height
Control panel with automatic maintenance logic
Refrigeration or heating/cooling valve packages
27 barg product-side pressure rating available
Rental test units for in-plant trials
FAQ About Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers
Q1: What is a scraped surface heat exchanger used for?
A: It is used for viscous, sticky, or heat-sensitive products in food, pharma, chemical and cosmetic industries where traditional exchangers foul quickly.
Q2: What’s the difference between single-wall and double-wall scraped surface heat exchangers?
A: Single-wall SSHE is standard for most viscous products. Double-wall SSHE adds an extra barrier to prevent cross-contamination, ideal for sensitive food and pharmaceutical applications.
Q3: What is the Convap scraped surface evaporator?
A: A module that converts Contherm SSHE into an evaporator for vacuum concentration of viscous products like fruit pastes or chemical slurries.
Q4: Can Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers be customized?
A: Yes, Alfa Laval offers multiple rotor sizes, materials, seal options and mounting configurations to meet exact process requirements.
Q5: Which industries use Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers?
A: Widely used in food & beverage, dairy, high-acid foods, home & personal care, biofuels, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals.
Contherm Range of Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers Brochure
The Alfa Laval Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchanger series delivers unmatched performance in processing viscous, sticky and heat-sensitive products. With advanced features like food-safe blades, Alfaloy coating, Convap evaporator modules and customizable designs, Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers ensures gentle handling, reliable operation and extended uptime.
Whether you need single-wall, double-wall, or evaporator configurations, Contherm Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers provides the flexibility and efficiency required for modern food, chemical and pharmaceutical production. Contact us today to explore the right Contherm SSHE solution for your process.
