Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market

Updated on : October 30 , 2023

The global Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market size is estimated to be USD 117 million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 143 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 4.0%.

Increasing maintenance-related requirements for regular cleaning of cold storage components, such as pumps, filters, and tubes, is driving the demand for the automatic tube cleaning system industry in the forecast period.

Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market Forecast to 2028

To know about the assumptions considered for the study, Request for Free Sample Report

Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market Dynamics

DRIVERS: Rising investments in refrigerated warehouses and cold storages

Increasing demand for online grocery shopping and frozen food has encouraged e-commerce companies to invest in refrigerated warehouses and cold storages. Many perishable eatable items need to be stored for a brief period until it gets sold by e-commerce companies. Hence, companies are installing cold storage systems in their warehouses. This helps companies to optimize the supply chain of perishable items and reduce the wastage of their products. Food processing industries are rapidly adopting more efficient cold storage facilities by investing in developing and introducing more advanced technologies. With the adoption of cold storages, their maintenance-related work would also increase. Regularly cleaning the components of cold storages, such as pumps, filters, and tubes is necessary to maintain these cold storages. Therefore, there will be an increase in demand for automatic tube cleaning systems in the forecast period.

RESTRAINT: Design-related faults and limitations in some automatic tube cleaning systems

A few automatic tube cleaning systems have design faults/limitations. Sometimes, the heated water leaving the condenser mixes with water re-entering the cold-water system, thereby reducing the efficiency of the chiller. Also, additional energy is needed for heat transfer.

Further, after the cleaning process, balls are collected in a ball trap, which includes a strainer or screen, allowing water to flow continuously but preventing balls from escaping downstream. Mechanically actuated clamshell-like screens were used in early designs of ball traps, which are used today as well. However, these designs are sometimes prone to mechanical failure leading to ball loss and decreased condenser efficiency. Design-related problems cause faults in tubes, which increase the energy consumption of the Heat Exchangers. These faults increase maintenance costs & downtime.

OPPORTUNITIES: Rise in desalination projects across the globe

Automatic tube cleaning systems are widely used in desalination plants to avoid fouling in water circuits that are present in desalination plants. In the extensive infrastructural setup of desalination plants, multiple tubes are used to carry water in each stage of desalination. The seawater consists of various dissolved chemicals and salts that must be removed. These salts may deposit inside the walls of the tube, which can cause fouling or corrosion. Due to increased water scarcity across the globe, many countries are focusing on the desalination of sea waters and investing in desalination plants. The Middle East had a shortage of potable water earlier; hence, desalination of the seawater was the only option left as the region did not have any fresh water source. Many countries in this region are installing desalination plants. Thus, the rising need to build seawater desalination plants is expected to increase the demand for automatic tube cleaning systems

CHALLENGES: Constant requirement to replace sponge balls in Automatic Tube Cleaning System

Balls used in automatic tube cleaning systems are made of soft natural sponge rubber. Typically, the lifespan of these balls is of 1,000 hours of chiller operation, but it depends on the roughness of the tube and the frequency at which these balls are sent through the pipe. As time passes, balls get denser and eventually lose their elasticity. Different types of balls are available in the market: standard, extended life, and abrasive. Standard variant balls are for general applications with different sizes and hardness scales. They can withstand the temperature of 140°Celsius. Extended life balls are standard balls with a thin, smooth skin coating. But because of their smoothness, extended-life balls have reduced cleaning efficiency. For harsh applications, abrasive balls are preferred; these are standard balls with a coating of abrasive materials. Either the balls are lost in the ball trap or strainer, or the efficiency at which tubes are cleaned is reduced. Hence, regular replacement of different variants of cleaning balls is needed, which creates challenges in installing the automatic tube cleaning system.

Automatic ball tube cleaning system is projected to witness the highest growth during forecast period.

For tube cleaning, the ball tube cleaning system is very commonly used technique. Elastomeric balls, having a slightly larger size than the diameter of the tube, are periodically injected into heat exchanger tubes with the help of an injection pump, thereby distributing the sponge balls in several tubes. The ball tube cleaning system that was introduced was primarily used for applications in the power generation industry. The ball tube cleaning system has been proven effective in increasing heat transfer efficiency for large-scale condensers used in power plants. Advances in ball tube cleaning system technology have resulted in more effective and reliable systems with enhanced scalability.

Power Generation sector to be the fastest growing segment in automatic tube cleaning system market during forecast period.

With the help of water, the power generation industry produces a significant amount of electricity. It is an essential element in the industry’s processes, such as steam generation and cooling condenser. In the power plant, water-based cooling systems necessarily suffer from the fouling of heat exchanger surfaces. This leads to a reduction in efficiency, which, in turn, increases energy use, emission of CO2 & NOx, and operating costs. Fouling affects the condenser's overall efficiency and increases the energy consumed in power plants, which is likely to impact the overall revenue of the power plants. Hence, automatic tube cleaning systems are installed to enable power plants to generate electricity at maximum efficiency by removing fouling automatically and continuously.

Asia Pacific to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period

China and India are among the major countries in APAC. These countries, being global manufacturing hubs, hold immense potential for the automatic tube cleaning system market growth. They are also among the fast-growing economies in the world. These countries include a large part of the world's population. To fulfill the electricity demand by the people in these countries, power generation through renewable energy is adopted. With China and India's growing adoption of renewable energy, the market for automatic tube cleaning systems in these power stations is anticipated to increase in the forecast period

Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market by Region

To know about the assumptions considered for the study, download the pdf brochure

Key Market Players

The automatic tube cleaning system companies is dominated by a few globally established players such as Taprogge Gmbh (Germany) BEAUDREY (France), Westech Engineering, LLC (US), Ovivo (Canada), and Balltech Energy Ltd. (Israel).

Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market Report Scope

Automatic Tube Cleaning System Market Highlights

This research report segments the automatic tube cleaning system market based on tool type, mode of operation, application and region.

Recent Developments

• In October 2022, Innovas Technologies launched an improved Helios Automatic Tube Cleaning System that eliminates fouling in water-cooled chiller plants. The Helios Automatic Tube Cleaning System represents Innovas Technologies LLC’s latest efforts to pioneer a new type of solution designed to improve energy efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

To speak to our analyst for a discussion on the above findings, click Speak to Analyst