Van Beek’s specialised line in screw heat exchangers. Under the brand name Celsius, Van Beek is the global market leader in this type of equipment. Screw heat exchangers are used to cool or heat the products in the broadest sense of the word.
Screw heat exchangers are widely used in the chemical, environmental and food industries and in recycling. Cooling, heating and/or drying products using this controlled method and simultaneously transporting them, is an effective, low-noise, energy-efficient and dust-free solution.
A thermal screw conveyor, or screw heat exchanger, is an indirect or direct heat exchanger based on a screw conveyor. The closed system consists of one or more screw shafts, double-walled casing and screws or a combination of these, with thermal fluid passing through them. The screw can also be double-walled in order to increase the heat exchange surface.
Screw heat exchangers are available in steel, stainless steel and in special materials such as super duplex. The diameter of the screw is variable, as are the pitch, the speed and much more. The length and diameter of the machine itself can be adjusted to the production process and the space available. The speed of the screw conveyor can be regulated. Water, water glycol, nitrogen and oil are the thermal liquids most commonly used inside a screw heat exchanger. A less commonly used but possible thermal medium, is steam The choices depend on the type of product, the environment, the process and other needs and requirements.
A screw heat exchanger can be used for many products and applications: from cooling sand to drying starch. A screw heat exchanger can be used as part of a process, can be coupled seamlessly to existing production lines and cooling water/power supplies, and can also be used as a stand-alone application.
The combination of transporting and simultaneously cooling, heating, mixing and/or drying products is one of the huge benefits of a screw heat exchanger. But there are more features which make this system so attractive:
‘The Blue Zone’ is an area of our facility marked in blue where we test, analyse and monitor products. In the enclosed ‘Test Room’, we test the flow behaviour, glutinosity or transportability of different products. For example, we can investigate what effect a screw heat exchanger has on a particular product. 
These tests can take from 5 minutes up to a whole day. Together with you, we look for a solution to achieve the best end result. Our test machines are available to rent, so you can test the production process yourself.
