Heat exchangers for refrigeration systems

Refrigeration

For a heat exchanger manufacturer, industrial refrigeration is one of the most stimulating and complex sectors, due to the variety of operating conditions and technical challenges involved.

Phenomena such as frost formation on finned surfaces, material selection based on corrosion or low-temperature resistance, and thermal sizing for two-phase fluids require experience, precise design, and deep thermo-fluid dynamics expertise.

Switching from a gas cooler to a recirculation evaporator, for example, presents entirely different challenges:

In the first case, it is essential to maximize heat transfer on the gas side while maintaining low pressure drops even at high pressures.

In the second, proper distribution of the refrigerant in the circuits must be ensured, balancing them and introducing calibrated pressure drops along the liquid path to guarantee uniform evaporation.

Added to these complexities is the choice of refrigerants, increasingly focused on natural or low-GWP (Global Warming Potential) fluids, which require new mechanical and thermal design criteria. In many cases — such as with ammonia (NH₃) — safety and material compatibility considerations are also critical.
Scambiatori di calore per impianti di refrigerazione DBM Coils

Tailored thermal control solutions for every application

Within refrigeration systems, DBM designs and manufactures fully custom heat exchangers, optimized for each specific plant requirement, including:

Cooling coils with fin spacing up to 12.0 mm, even progressive, for glycol or brine applications

Direct expansion or recirculation evaporators, compatible with ammonia and other refrigerants

High-efficiency condensers and gas coolers

For materials, DBM offers all the most common combinations in the sector: from copper/aluminum to fully stainless steel (304 or 316) exchangers, and specific configurations for corrosive or high-pressure environments.
Defrosting systems are also available via electric heaters, integrated hot water or hot gas circuits, along with sloped or removable condensate trays.

DBM engineering and innovation for more efficient and reliable refrigeration systems

Recirculation evaporators for ammonia and CO₂

High-fin heat exchangers and defrosting systems

Finned-tube heat exchangers

Quality and performance for every requirement

DBM thermal control solutions can be fully customized to meet the specific needs of each facility, under any operating condition, ensuring maximum efficiency and real energy savings.

Product and process certifications

ESG Certification
ISO 9001 Certification
AHRI Certification
PED Certification

DBM selection software

Our selection software allows easy sizing of reversible heat exchangers, automatically verifying performance during condensation and evaporation, selecting the most suitable materials for design pressures, and checking PED category compliance.

This is particularly important to ensure proper system assessment and full regulatory compliance in applications with high-pressure refrigerants such as CO₂, or “flammable” refrigerants like R290 and R32.

DBM: your technical partner for
high-performance systems

Since 1981, DBM has been a trusted partner for those seeking reliable, high-performing, and sustainable refrigeration solutions that combine engineering precision, sustainability, and continuous service.

Every DBM heat exchanger is the result of an integrated, fully controlled process at every stage:

01.

Thermal and mechanical design in co-engineering with the customer

02.

Automated production with state-of-the-art technologies

03.

Quality checks at every stage of the production cycle

04.

Laboratory testing in our internal research center and wind tunnel

05.

Final inspection and verification of compliance with industry technical standards (PED, AHRI 410, or other specific requirements)

Engineering and innovation for more efficient, reliable systems

Trust DBM to design high-performance heat exchangers developed to ensure efficiency, durability,
and long-lasting air quality.