ANSYS > Case Studies > Revolutionizing Heat Exchanger Design with IoT: A Case Study on GEA Ecoflex India Pvt. Ltd.

Revolutionizing Heat Exchanger Design with IoT: A Case Study on GEA Ecoflex India Pvt. Ltd.

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Technology Category
  • Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
  • Sensors - Utility Meters
Applicable Functions
  • Maintenance
  • Product Research & Development
Use Cases
  • Manufacturing Process Simulation
  • Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
About The Customer
GEA Ecoflex India Pvt. Ltd. is a part of the Global Engineering Alliance Group (GEA) PHE Systems, responsible for plate heat exchanger technology within the GEA Heat Exchangers segment of the GEA Group. The GEA Group is one of the largest system providers for food and energy processes. GEA Ecoflex focuses on process technology and components for sophisticated production processes. The company is based in Pune, India, and leads the GEA family in quantifying PHE performance characteristics.
The Challenge
GEA Ecoflex India Pvt. Ltd., a part of the Global Engineering Alliance Group, operates in the competitive heat exchanger sector. The company's primary challenge was to expedite the product development process while ensuring the heat exchangers met client technical specifications for safety, space, environmental concerns, structural integrity, and international standards. The company needed to reduce prototyping time to deliver innovative products to the market first and grow its business. The heat exchangers, being a vital element in a wide range of industries, had to deliver excellent return on investment, reliable operation, and reduced maintenance costs for the companies using them.
The Solution
GEA Ecoflex adopted a simulation-driven product development approach using ANSYS Mechanical and ANSYS Fluent. The company modeled and simulated plate heat exchangers (PHEs) using a 2-D/3-D model for a set of design data and technical specifications. They applied structural, thermal, and seismic load case combinations to determine the static and dynamic behavior of the PHE, enabling them to predict actual performance in the field. The PHEs were optimized with multiphysics simulation from ANSYS. This approach allowed GEA Ecoflex to manufacture the PHEs to meet technical specifications and comply with standards, while significantly reducing the design and development cycle.
Operational Impact
  • The implementation of ANSYS simulation tools not only expedited the product development process but also ensured the performance of the heat exchangers. The verification and validation of the design using the experiment gave engineers confidence in the process. This confidence, coupled with the reduced design and development cycle, helped the company to aggressively market and sell its product. The simulation-driven product development approach also allowed the team at GEA Ecoflex India Pvt Ltd to lead the GEA family in quantifying PHE performance characteristics.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Shortened the design and development cycle by 86 percent, reducing it from two weeks to two days.
  • Reduced the total number of prototypes, saving significant time and costs.
  • Decreased the amount of materials required by 14 percent, further reducing product manufacturing costs.

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