Canada's Trusted Partner for Industrial Lifecycle Solutions
A Canadian leader in mechanical field services, shop fabrication of shell and tube heat exchangers and air coolers, and specialty industrial services.
Altex Shop Fabrication
Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers
Air cooled heat exchangers in Canada offer a unique set of advantages, particularly in locations where water is scarce or costly. Designed for efficiency, our air cooled heat exchangers make use of finned tubes for enhanced heat transfer capabilities. Like all our products, each air cooled heat exchanger we manufacture goes through rigorous quality checks to ensure it performs up to the Altex standard of excellence.
Shell & Tube Exchangers
Shell and tube heat exchangers are the workhorse of many industrial processes. Known for their robustness and versatility, they are perfectly suited for handling a wide range of fluid types, temperatures, and pressures. At Altex, our shell and tube heat exchangers are designed for maximum efficiency and durability. Built from quality materials, they balance heat transfer capability, efficiency, and robustness. Our engineers can work with you to design exchangers optimized for your application.
Special Process Units
Altex specializes in the design and fabrication of Special Process Units built to perform in the most demanding industrial environments. Our in-house expertise and advanced manufacturing capabilities allow us to deliver high-quality, reliable equipment such as waste heat boilers, sulfur condensers, evaporators, hairpin heat exchangers, and thermosyphons. From concept through completion, we focus on precision engineering, strict quality control, and proven fabrication practices to ensure every unit meets regulatory requirements and exceeds performance expectations.
Piping Fabrication
Altex offers comprehensive both field piping and shop piping capabilities to support complex industrial projects from start to finish. Our teams are skilled in the fabrication of piping systems in full compliance with ASME B31.1 Power and Boiler Piping and ASME B31.3 Process Piping codes. With the right expertise and specialized equipment, we deliver even the most complex piping spools safely, cost-effectively, and to the highest quality standards. Combined with our Field Service division, we can demo, fabricate and install piping for a one-stop-shop to meet all of your needs.
Altex Field Services
Boilers & Pressure Vessels
Altex has the manpower and equipment to tackle the most complicated pressure vessel work. This includes mechanical work with unique metallurgies and work requiring field engineering. Our Supervision and Engineering Team’s have the experience you are looking for, with a proven track record. Our field service capability covers the following types of boilers and pressure vessels: Once Through Steam Generators (OTSG), Package Boilers, Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG), Deaerators, Waste Heat Recovery Units, Reboilers, Furnaces and Reformers, Recovery Boilers and Recaust systems, Flash Tanks, and Steam and Condensate Receivers.
Heat Exchangers
As Canada’s leader in heat exchanger manufacturing and field services, Altex is equipped to take on the largest and most complex projects. With the country’s most extensive fleet of bundle-pulling equipment, a dedicated training facility, and our own in-house Bundle Puller Operator certification program, we bring unmatched capability to every job. From handling bundles weighing more than 140,000 lbs to working with unique and challenging tube metallurgies, Altex has the expertise, resources, and proven systems to deliver your heat exchanger projects safely, on budget, and on schedule.
Piping Service
Altex delivers comprehensive piping solutions both in our shop and in the field. Our teams are fully qualified to execute projects in compliance with ASME B31.1 Power and Boiler Piping and ASME B31.3 Process Piping, including field demolition and installation. With specialized equipment such as our Profiler, we have the capability to take on even the most complex and challenging spooling requirements—safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standards.
Altex Products & Services
Specialty Services
Altex offers a full range of Specialty Services designed to complement our core mechanical capabilities. Whether integrated into large-scale turnaround and maintenance projects or delivered as stand-alone solutions, these services are executed by our highly-trained, in-house experts. Many of these services are provided on an urgent basis, often with little advance notice. Because our personnel and equipment are in-house and supported by a responsive onboarding and project coordination team - we can mobilize quickly, day or night, weekday or weekend. At Altex, we understand that your operations don’t run on a 9 - 5 schedule, and neither do we.
On-Line Leak Repair
On-line leak repairs includes both: Engineered Containment Devices (ECD) and Bonnet or valve injections with sealant and peening the surfaces together.
Applications include piping, bonnets, flanges and valve packings.
Mechanical enclosures designed/engineered and machined by Altex. Custom built for your specific application.
Specialty compounds for void fill sealants suitable for temperatures ranging from cryogenic to 1800F.
Registered with provincial pressure equipment safety authority.
Heat Exchanger Grit Blasting
Used to allow a NDE probe down a tube for regulatory inspections.
Can also be used to help restore heat transfer efficiency.
Don’t need to pull the bundle or have immersion chemical cleaning.
Highly frangible blast media avoids surface damage to the tubes.
Piping and tubes from 0.5” to 36” in diameter.
Grit media provides superior cleaning power.
A safer and more environmentally friendly cleaning option.
Composite Wraps
Altex personnel can repair piping, vessels, and tanks using composite wraps. Repairs are engineered/designed to the specific application. There is no need to shut down or drain a system. Wraps can be quickly installed, reducing costly downtime. Our Altex wrap and repair process allows your system to run again at the maximum operating pressure.
Air-Cooler Cleaning
Fouling on air-side coolers (fin fans) can significantly reduce cooling efficiency, impacting production and driving up costs. Altex provides a proven solution. Using environmentally friendly cleaning chemistry and custom-designed foaming sprayers, our technicians effectively clean air coolers on site. Organic debris (such as poplar fuzz) is easily removed, restoring heat transfer performance. Our cleaning chemistry is safe for both the environment and your fin-and-tube metallurgy, while our low-pressure application system ensures tube fins are protected throughout the process. With Altex, you get a safe, efficient, and cost-effective method to keep your air-coolers performing at their best.
Line Isolations – Crimping & Freeze Plugs
When leaks occur and systems must remain in operation, line isolation can be the only effective solution. Altex provides tailored line isolation responses based on your system requirements, using proven technologies to ensure safety and reliability. For both planned projects and unplanned emergencies, freeze plugs offer a safe and efficient option when a system cannot otherwise be isolated. Altex employs nitrogen-based freeze plug technology, which requires a freezable medium in a static (no-flow) line. In cases of uncontrolled leaks, Altex also offers pipe crimping technology. This method uses specialized hydraulic equipment to safely pinch the pipe, often combined with material injection to stop up to 100% of the flow. Stop rings can be applied to protect the pipe from shear, and once the leak is controlled, the crimping equipment can be safely removed. Altex pipe crimping is available for piping up to 3” schedule 80. With both freeze plugging and crimping capabilities, Altex provides rapid, dependable solutions to manage leaks while keeping your facility online.
Robotic & Drone Inspections
Altex provides advanced inspection solutions using a full range of robotic, sensor-based, and drone technologies. Our in-house personnel are fully trained and compliant with Transport Canada and NAV Canada regulations, ensuring safe and reliable operations.
Our remotely operated crawlers are equipped with high-definition camera platforms and can be deployed in both aerial and crawler configurations. Robotic inspections utilize thermal imaging and ground-penetrating radar to detect hidden issues with precision.
Our drone services offer versatile inspection capabilities for insulation, refractory, piping, and other hard-to-access surfaces. With high-definition visuals, thermal imaging, and multi-spectral imaging, Altex delivers the data you need to make informed maintenance and operational decisions safely, efficiently, and without costly downtime.
Altex Industries
Made in Canada
Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Altex delivers full-lifecycle industrial solutions to Canada’s energy and process industries. From engineering and fabrication to field services and specialty maintenance, we support the most complex projects in heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, and piping systems.
We employ over 200 full-time staff and support up to 1000 personnel during seasonal turnarounds. All engineering, project management, procurement, and shop production are performed in-house at our 15-acre and 120,000 ft2 facility located in Edmonton, Alberta.
Lifecycle Experts in Heat Exchangers
Altex is Canada’s leader in the manufacturing and field repair of heat exchangers. From large-diameter and high-pressure units to challenging metallurgies and high-spec designs, these projects are our specialty. By leveraging our combined shop and field expertise, supported by strong engineering and technical resources, we deliver complex fabrication and repair projects with confidence.
With respect to our Field Service, what truly sets Altex apart is our experience of our Field leadership. Every supervisor brings years of hands-on expertise executing the most demanding work scopes at remote sites. This practical knowledge is reinforced through ongoing technical training, including controlled bolting (torquing and tensioning) and Bundle Puller Operator certification. With this depth of skill and preparation, our teams consistently deliver safe, efficient, and high-quality results across the full lifecycle of your heat exchangers.
We Build and Repair More Than Heat Exchangers!
Our business was built on heat exchangers, and we’re proud of that history. But Altex also has the ability to execute many other field service scopes and provide a true one-stop shop for customers. Utilizing the strengths of our Shop, Field Service, and Specialty divisions, provides a unique value to customers needing one contractor to be able to self execute a number of challenging scopes.
In the Shop, we deliver not only heat exchangers but also piping spools, waste heat boilers, and other custom fabrications. Our Field Service teams execute piping, boiler work, and complex on-site projects with the same quality and precision our customers trust. Through our Specialty division, we provide critical services such as heat exchanger cleaning and leak sealing to keep your operations running smoothly.
Discover the full scope of what Altex can do, from integrated solutions, to reliable expertise, and a streamlined approach to your toughest challenges.
Testimonials
“I wanted to send a quick note to let you know how pleased we have been with the Altex team at Kearl. The last couple of years we have seen tremendous improvement in Altex’s safety culture, quality of work, and adaptability to our ever changing priorities.”
- IOL – Kearl Maintenance
Get in touch with Altex Industries, a leading Canadian mechanical contractor and fabrication shop. We are here to answer any questions that you may have. We want to help you bring your project to life!
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FAQs
What is a heat exchanger and what does it do?
The purpose of a heat exchanger is to transfer heat between two or more fluids (typically gases and/or liquids) to regulate temperatures during production. These essential industrial components facilitate the efficient exchange of thermal energy without allowing the fluids to mix. Heat exchangers operate on the principle of thermal conductivity, where heat naturally flows from areas of higher temperature to areas of lower temperature. Heat exchangers are crucial in many industrial applications including power generation, oil/gas production and chemical processing. By controlling temperatures, heat exchangers help maintain optimal operating conditions for equipment and processes, improve energy efficiency by recovering waste heat, and ensure product quality in temperature-sensitive manufacturing operations. Heat exchanger designs can vary widely depending on specific application requirements, efficiency needs, and space constraints.
How to tell if a heat exchanger is leaking and requires service?
Detecting a leaking heat exchanger requires attention to several key indicators. Visual indicators with the exchanger may reveal obvious leaks. As well, unusual odors around the exchanger may also provide a clue that small leaks are present, many times in gas form. Many times, an exchanger may need to be by-passed and opened up to determine if there is a leak. In this case, to ultimately determine if there are any shell or tube side leaks, a hydro test is completed where a medium (water or glycol mix) may be pressured up and the contractor will monitor the pressure of the system to see if it remains steady. If the pressure in the circuit declines over time, then a leak is confirmed. A non-destructive examination (NDE) will then be ordered to locate the leak if the leak is not obvious. There are many hazards that are considered when managing leaking heat exchangers. These include environmental, safety, heat exchanger issues that may result in production issues and operating costs.
What happens when a heat exchanger fails?
When a heat exchanger begins to fail, it can create both production performance issues and potential safety hazards. When shell or tube side components begin to foul or scale for instance, heat exchange is negatively impacted and production costs, production efficiency or production losses can occur. Heat exchanger efficiency can drop significantly as the failing exchanger can no longer efficiently transfer heat between fluids, leading to increased energy consumption and inconsistent temperatures. System performance becomes erratic, with frequent cycling and potential shutdowns as safety mechanisms detect abnormal operating conditions. In pressurized systems, fluid leakage may occur, potentially causing contamination between previously separated fluids. The most serious consequence, particularly in combustion applications, is the possible release of noxious and/or combustion gases into the air stream. This creates a significant safety hazard that can lead to unacceptable safety concerns. Additional complications include accelerated wear on other system components as they compensate for the failing exchanger, leading to cascading failures if not addressed promptly.
How long do heat exchangers last?
The lifespan of heat exchangers typically ranges from 10 to 20 years, though this varies significantly based on several factors. Material quality plays a crucial role, with higher-grade alloys and corrosion-resistant materials generally lasting longer in challenging environments. Operating conditions significantly impact longevity—extreme temperatures, pressure fluctuations, and corrosive fluids can accelerate deterioration. Regular maintenance, including proper cleaning to prevent fouling and scale buildup, can substantially extend service life. The frequency of thermal cycling (heating and cooling) affects metal fatigue and can shorten lifespan when cycles are frequent. Water chemistry in liquid-based systems is particularly important, as improper pH levels or scale forming content can cause premature corrosion or scaling. With optimal conditions and diligent maintenance, some industrial heat exchangers can exceed their expected lifespan by many years.
How much does it cost to replace a heat exchanger?
Replacing a heat exchanger involves significant costs that vary widely depending on several factors. The complexity of the installation greatly affects labor costs, with difficult-to-access units requiring more time and specialized equipment. Heat exchanger size and capacity directly impact material costs, with larger units commanding higher prices. Material quality also influences cost, with stainless steel, copper, and specialty alloys being more expensive than standard carbon steel. For specialized applications requiring custom designs or materials, costs increase substantially. Additional expenses may include system modifications, permit fees, and temporary heating/cooling solutions during replacement. Given these variables, obtaining multiple quotes from qualified professionals is advisable when budgeting for heat exchanger replacement.
Who do I contact about global Supply Chain issues?
SCM Manager
How do we contact SCM?
Email ‐ SC*@******nc.com
Phone ‐ Main Switchboard
How do we contact SCM?
Email ‐ SC*@******nc.com
Phone ‐ Main Switchboard
Who do we contact for general inquiries?
SCM Manager
What are your shipping and receiving hours of operation?
Open Daily during the week from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Do you have after hours coverage?
Yes based on planned deliveries or shipments
Where do I send material or equipment?
Altex Main Address with attention: Receiving
What are your response times for regular inquiries?
Within 24 hours
How do I get information about shipping requirements?
Email‐ SC*@******nc.com
Phone‐ Main Switchboard
How do I order spare parts?
Email‐ SC*@******nc.com
Phone‐ Main Switchboard
Careers
Are you looking for a career where you can grow as a problem solver and learn new things everyday? Altex Industries employs for a diverse variety of roles! Send us your resume or apply for an open position today. Learn more on our careers page.
