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Alfa Laval WideGap Heat Exchanger

The ideal solution for fibrous and viscous fluids


Alfa Laval WideGap
Heat Exchanger

The ideal solution for fibrous and viscous fluids


Are you active in the food, pharmaceutical, or chemical industry? Then you know how crucial reliable and efficient heat exchangers are. The Alfa Laval WideGap, available through SKS, is specifically designed for liquids containing fibres, coarse particles, or with high viscosity. Ideal for applications where standard heat exchangers fall short.

Thanks to its innovative design with wide channel openings, smooth port design and optimized plate pattern, the WideGap ensures high heat transfer efficiency and minimal clogging. This makes it especially suitable for processes where food production, chemical treatment, and water management are key.

Where is the Alfa Laval WideGap used?

This heat exchanger is highly versatile and used in biotech, pharmaceutical, food, sugar and bioethanol production, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, heat recovery, and wastewater treatment. Its flexible configuration, wide-wide or wide-narrow channels, makes it suitable for heating, cooling or mixed duties with variable flows.


Key benefits for your process

The Alfa Laval WideGap offers clear advantages that contribute to more efficient processes and lower operational costs:

  • High energy efficiency thanks to the optimized plate patterns the units can run with relatively small number of parallel plates and passes, transferring large amounts of thermal energy with less pressure drop.

  • Compact design takes up only 20% of the floor space and is 80% lighter than traditional shell-and-tube exchangers.

  • Minimal clogging and easy cleaning (CIP). Free flow of fibrous and viscous media, no hidden corners or crevices.

  • Easy servicing and extended maintenance intervals. Supported by Alfa Laval’s global service network.

Want expert advice about the Alfa Laval WideGap?

Contact us

Smarter Fruit processing with Alfa Laval WideGap

The Italian company Dolomiti Fruits replaced inefficient tubular heat exchangers with Alfa Laval WideGap units, resulting in a 45% drop in steam usage and up to 15% energy savings. The switch improved heat recovery and reduced pressure loss, significantly easing pump strain. Collaborative development with Alfa Laval led to the new hygienic HL8-WG plates, enhancing cleanability. Today, Dolomiti runs four full production lines with WideGap technology, processing up to 250 tonnes of fruit daily.

Saving charts Dolomiti Fruits

Read the case story

Key benefits for your process

The Alfa Laval WideGap offers clear advantages that contribute to more efficient processes and lower operational costs in the Netherlands and Belgium:

  • High energy efficiency thanks to the counterflow principle, resulting in lower operating costs.
  • Compact design takes up only 20% of the floor space and is 80% lighter than traditional shell-and-tube exchangers.
  • Minimal clogging and extended maintenance intervals when handling fibrous or viscous media.
  • Easy cleaning (including via CIP), supported by Alfa Laval’s global service network.

Want expert advice about the Alfa Laval WideGap?

Contact us




Success story: Dolomiti Fruits Cuts Costs and Boosts Hygiene with Alfa Laval WideGap

The Italian company Dolomiti Fruits replaced inefficient tubular heat exchangers with Alfa Laval WideGap units, resulting in a 45% drop in steam usage and up to 15% energy savings. The switch improved heat recovery and reduced pressure loss, significantly easing pump strain. Collaborative development with Alfa Laval led to the new hygienic HL8-WG plates, enhancing cleanability. Today, Dolomiti runs four full production lines with WideGap technology, processing up to 250 tonnes of fruit daily.

Saving charts Dolomiti Fruits

Read the case story


How the WideGap works

The heat exchanger consists of corrugated plates mounted between a frame and pressure plates that maintain design pressure. Fluids typically flow in opposite directions through the unit to ensure maximum thermal performance at small temperature differences. Thanks to the smart plate pattern and pressing depth, even challenging fluids can circulate without any effort. Our sales engineers are happy to help you select the ideal configuration for your application.

Configurations
The WideGap plate heat exchanger can be configured in various ways. The channels can have a ‘wide/wide’ or ‘wide/narrow’ opening, with different gap sizes between the channels. WideGap heat exchangers are typically configured as multi-pass units to ensure sufficient turbulence. The illustrations below show cross-sections of the two different configurations.


Single-Side WideGap

Single-Side WideGap

An extra wide channel for fibrous/contaminated fluid (A) and a channel for non-fibrous fluid (B).

Double-Side WideGap

Double-Side WideGap

Two wide channels for fibrous / contaminated fluids (C).


Alfa Laval HL8 WideGap

The Alfa Laval HL8 WideGap is a hygienic plate heat exchanger designed for viscous or particle-rich liquids in food, dairy, and beverage processes. Its wide channels ensure smooth flow, efficient heat recovery, and gentle product handling. With flexible configurations and precision engineering, it offers superior hygiene, easy cleaning, and long-lasting performance.

SmoothPort
SmoothPort

The streamlined SmoothPort™ prevents build-up and maximizes cleanability and drainability.

OpenChannel
OpenChannel

OpenChannel™ allows longer operating time for fluids with particles and fibres.

Five-point alignment
Five-point alignment

Alfa Laval’s five-point alignment ensures precise fit, easy maintenance, and durability.

Clip-on gasket
Clip-on gasket

The Clip-on gasket enables quick, tool-free replacement and reliable sealing.

Bearing boxes
Bearing boxes

Bearing boxes reduce friction for easy, safe one-person maintenance.

CleanChannel
CleanChannel

CleanChannel™ removes particles during cleaning, ensuring top hygiene.


Alfa Laval HL8 WideGap

The Alfa Laval HL8 WideGap is a hygienic plate heat exchanger designed for viscous or particle-rich liquids in food, dairy, and beverage processes. Its wide channels ensure smooth flow, efficient heat recovery, and gentle product handling. With flexible configurations and precision engineering, it offers superior hygiene, easy cleaning, and long-lasting performance.

Selection of available features, depending on configuration some features may not be applicable:

SmoothPort
SmoothPort

The streamlined SmoothPort™ prevents build-up and maximizes cleanability and drainability.

OpenChannel
OpenChannel

OpenChannel™ allows longer operating time for fluids with particles and fibres.

Five-point alignment
Five-point alignment

Alfa Laval’s five-point alignment ensures precise fit, easy maintenance, and durability.

Clip-on gasket
Clip-on gasket

The Clip-on gasket enables quick, tool-free replacement and reliable sealing.

Bearing boxes
Bearing boxes

Bearing boxes reduce friction for easy, safe one-person maintenance.

CleanChannel
CleanChannel

CleanChannel™ removes particles during cleaning, ensuring top hygiene.


SKS, your partner in Heat Exchanger Solutions


SKS supports customers across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany with complete heat exchanger expertise.
From design support to troubleshooting, optimisation and training, we help ensure reliable performance in every application.

Heat Exchanger Services
Designing
(RE-)Designing
Our engineers design or optimise your heat exchanger for the best fit and performance, often without needing a new unit. Thinking with installers is our strength.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Having an issue, such as a leak? We’re your first point of contact. With our service partners and stock of original parts, we act quickly and provide on-site service to minimise downtime.
Performance improvement
Performance Improvement
Our specialists analyse your heat exchanger to ensure it fits your application and performs optimally. Through audits, we identify maintenance needs and prevent unexpected issues.
Heat Exchanger Services
Partnership
Partnership
We work with experts and partners like Alfa Laval to give you access to world-class technology. Installers and engineers benefit from these collaborations in new projects and maintenance.
Portfolio
Our portfolio
Includes: copper brazed, fusion bonded, plate, scraped surface, and tubular heat exchangers. This enables us to offer the right solution for every food, beverage, and pharmaceutical application.
Knowledge partner
Knowledge partner
At SKS, we share our expertise through training and workshops on heat exchanger selection and maintenance. We also help integrate them into your process for the best solution.
Designing

(RE-)Designing
Our engineers design or optimise your heat exchanger for the best fit and performance, often without needing a new unit. Thinking with installers is our strength.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting
Having an issue, such as a leak? We’re your first point of contact. With our service partners and stock of original parts, we act quickly and provide on-site service to minimise downtime.

Performance improvement

Performance Improvement
Our specialists analyse your heat exchanger to ensure it fits your application and performs optimally. Through audits, we identify maintenance needs and prevent unexpected issues.

Partnership

Partnership
We work with experts and partners like Alfa Laval to give you access to world-class technology. Installers and engineers benefit from these collaborations in new projects and maintenance.

Portfolio

Portfolio
Our portfolio includes copper-soldered, stainless steel, and tubular heat exchangers, offering the right solution for every application in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries.

Knowledge partner

Knowledge partner
At SKS, we share our expertise through training and workshops on heat exchanger selection and maintenance. We also help integrate them into your process for the best solution.


We like to think along with you!

Would you like more information or advice about the Alfa Laval WideGap and heatexchangers? Please complete the online form for a consultation.

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We like to think along with you!

Would you like more information or advice about the Alfa Laval WideGap and heatexchangers? Please complete the online form for a consultation.

View plate heat exchangers

Spare parts
Contact form

Fields marked with asterisks (*) are required.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.