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Superior Quality. Custom Design. European Manufacturing.

Universal Hydraulik

Superior Quality. Custom Design. USA and European Manufacturing.

Since 1993, Universal Hydraulik has been designing hydraulic systems, cooling systems, and heat exchangers that are used in many different applications all over the world. Own-make heat exchangers started production in 2002.

Known for customized heat exchanger solutions, Universal Hydraulik has been continuously certified to DIN ISO 9001 since 1997 and holds certificates for BV, DNV, Germanischer Lloyd and others.

What does Universal Hydraulik stand for internationally?

  • Quick responses and taking action for our customers
  • Customizing designs and offering excellent heat exchange solutions (100% replacements available)
  • 3D Drawings for Download or provided quickly by our engineering team
  • Clean production process by dividing welding and assembling in different buildings
  • Our heat exchange calculation software is provided to our customers and we are able to prove performance on our own performance test stand
  • Every product is 100% leakage tested multiple times in house on our own designed test stands. One of the expansion tests involves subjecting the coolers to 100 bar / 1,450 psi on the water side which puts the material under enormous stress and constitutes a test step which is without parallel elsewhere in the market.
  • Hydraulic solutions since more than 40 years
  • Building test stands for the industry
  • We also offer direct replacements for several existing heat exchangers (Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers and Oil-Air Coolers): Thermal Transfer Products, API Heat Transfer, BASCO , American Industrial, ITT Standard, Bowman, Serck, Thermex, Funke, Oeltechnik, Bell&Gossett, AKG, Nissens, Hydac

Why Universal Hydraulik?

There are four main reasons to utilize Universal Hydraulik heat exchangers:

  • No flushing is required
  • More efficient by design
  • Fail-safe cooler line
  • Largest size offerings in the industry
  • Custom designs

No Flushing Required

Universal Hydraulik’s proprietary manufacturing process creates little to no contamination from welding and other materials that get transferred to the final unitThus, no flushing is required, saving time and money.

In addition, Universal Hydraulik uses robots for welding, ensuring consistent and high-quality welds.

Tubular heat exchangers made in Universal Hydraulik’s production facilities in Germany and the Czech Republic are subject to an in-process testing sequence comprising five different steps, starting with the tube inspection (measurement of wall thickness) to the final leak test on the entire cooling system. These tests ensure only high-quality and reliable products get shipped.

More Efficient by Design

Universal Hydraulik’s “hybrid cooler” line offers high performance due to the utilization of plates or “fins” on the oil side to allow for more efficient heat transfer in a more compact space. This unique line combines the advantages of plate heat exchangers with the benefits of shell & tube (S&T) heat exchangers. Universal Hydraulik’s “hybrid cooler” line features:

  • Design is significantly smaller than the standard shell and tube design. It has similar dimensions (compact) of a plate cooler, but the straight shell and tube is almost twice as large
  • Heat transfer efficiencies like that of plate-type coolers
  • Large, smooth pipes keep it almost entirely clean, whereas the ribbed design of the plate heat exchanger tends to need cleaning which can be difficult and time consuming
  • Can be used in systems with higher operating temperatures and pressures
  • Opportunity to build in an internal bypass valve

Industry-Leading Fail Safe Coolers

Fail-safe coolers are often used in marine, offshore oil, power and steel plants, and other applications where natural water is used as the cooling medium and, for reasons of environmental or mechanical protection, mixing of mediums needs to be avoided. Simply put, Universal Hydraulik’s fail-safe coolers are two heat exchangers in one, ensuring 100% safety if the outer or inner tube gets destroyed. Built-in sensors detect if there is a pressure loss of the control fluid and provide electronic warning signals so that no or very minimal amount of oil is released into the environment. The materials of the safety heat exchanger and the combination of tubes and seals can be customized accordingly the application.

Largest Size Offerings in the Industry

Two Universal Hydraulik heat exchanger series can be manufactured in sizes up to 395 gpm (1,500 l/min) volume or 1,300 hp (1,000 kW) cooling capacity; the SCM series and the EKM series.

SCM Series
The SCM series (larger diameter internal tubes) is particularly effective due to the additional cooling area, produced by aluminum fins pushed over the bank of tubes with metal-to-metal contact. The SCM range of heat exchangers has a cooling surface of from 6 m2 to 29 m2. The SCM series is primarily sold to applications where there is poor water quality such as in Asia and South America.

EKM Series
The EKM series (standard size internal tubes) is a logical further development of a tube-bank heat exchanger for a wide range of industrial applications. This range is particularly effective due to the additional cooling area and offers a heat exchange performance of 230 kW.

Applications Include:

  • Hydropower
  • Textile machines
  • Shipbuilding
  • Air compressors
  • Plastic injection molding machines
  • Presses
  • Tunnel boring machines

Custom Designs

Universal Hydraulik offers a convenient customization program which allows customers to have oil coolers engineered for their specific application—without the hassle or purchase minimums. This can include special porting, sizing or materials.

Approximately 50% of Universal Hydraulik coolers are custom. Custom projects include 3D drawings and exact cooling calculations at no additional cost. Universal Hydraulik works with OEM’s to deliver custom solutions.

Universal Hydraulik oil coolers are available in many different material combinations for any environment:

  • Standard steel
  • Bronze/gunmetal — end caps (for marine applications)
  • Stainless steel water tubes
  • Copper fins
  • Stainless steel housing (on request)
  • Welded water tubes

For a complete list and description of Universal Hydraulik heat exchangers, visit https://www.icfluid.com/products/heat-exchangers/ or call 1-877-423.5843.


Universal Hydraulik Products