Reverse Engineering a Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger

To ensure absolute accuracy before sending the design to the manufacturer, we stripped down an older, decommissioned unit to completely expose the core internal assembly—including the massive tube bundle, segmented baffle plates, and end plate configurations. My task? Translate this physical, heavily used industrial hardware into highly precise, production-ready 3D and 2D CAD models. Key highlights of the engineering process: Detailed Breakdown & Inspection: Extracted precise measurements from the physical assembly, mapping out complex internal geometries like tube pitch and orientation. Full-Scale 3D Assembly: Modeled the entire inner assembly in SolidWorks, managing a high-density bundle of 188 hollow tubes alongside left- and right-cut baffle structures. Component-Level Drafting: Generated precise sheet metal designs for the custom baffle covers (incorporating specified fillet radii like R15.00 and R2.00) and 2.00 mm thick baffle plates. Manufacturing-Ready Deliverables: Completed fully detailed 2D engineering drawings with comprehensive Bills of Materials (BOM), clear hole alignment configurations, and structural tolerancing to eliminate any fabricator guesswork.