Heat exchangers have a very broad range of industrial applications. They are used as components of air conditioning and cooling systems or of heating systems. Many industrial processes call for a certain degree of heat to function.

However, typically great care must be take to keep these processes from getting too hot. Within industrial plants and factories heat exchangers are required to keep machinery, chemicals, water, gas, and other substances within a safe operating temperature.

Heat exchangers may also be used to capture and transfer steam or heat exhaust that is released as a by product of a process or operation so that the steam or heat can be put to better use elsewhere, thereby increasing efficiency and saving the plant money.