Shipping oversized shell & tube heat exchangers from China to Georgia is a logistics problem before it is a manufacturing problem. Nozzle orientation, saddle height, lift points, packing data and carrier booking must be fixed while the drawings are still open. This guide answers the questions engineers actually ask before an exchanger leaves the shop, using a live 2026 shipment of two units from Shanghai to Poti Port as the worked example.
What Must Be Agreed Before Fabrication Starts?Exchangers that sit in existing pipe racks are not catalogue items: nozzle positions and orientation, saddle supports, footprint and lifting lugs must be drawn against the customer's site layout and approved before tube sheet drilling. Changing a nozzle after hydrotest means re-testing the shell and moving the shipment date. Confirm nozzle size and orientation, saddle height and bolt hole spacing, lifting lugs and bundle pull-out clearance in writing.
What Packing Data Do You Need to Book Freight?Packing data is not a document detail; it drives the freight quotation. Both units on this project were quoted before these figures were finalised:
| Package | Equipment | Qty | Net Weight / Gross Weight | Size (mm) | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2/3 | Shell & tube heat exchanger (compact) | 1 set | 3,950 / 4,030 kg | 6,100 × 900 × 1,520 | 8.34 CBM |
| #3/3 | Shell & tube heat exchanger (long tube) | 1 set | 11,850 / 11,950 kg | 9,250 × 1,650 × 2,650 | 40.45 CBM |
| Total | 2 sets | 15,800 / 15,980 kg | — | 48.79 CBM | |
With these figures the carrier can confirm flat-rack or break-bulk space and the buyer can plan port lifting and inland trucking early.
How Should Each Unit Be Packed?Two packages on one booking is cheaper, but only if stowage is agreed in advance. For the 9.25 m unit the flat-rack / break-bulk arrangement was confirmed with the carrier so lifting points matched the saddles, and loading, lashing and photographic records were completed before departure. Ask for the stowage plan, not just the booking confirmation.
What Documents Does Poti Port Require for Project Cargo?Both units were tested on shell and tube sides at the applicable code test pressure — 1.5× design pressure per TEMA R, or 1.3× MAWP per ASME Sec VIII Div.1 — with certificates issued alongside the third-party inspection report.
Do Oversized Loads Need a Road Permit in Georgia?Georgia's standard thresholds for oversize cargo are 5 m width, 4.5 m height, 20 m single-vehicle length and 52 t gross weight. Both packages here stayed well within them, so no road permit was needed — but check the destination site, not just the port.
Worked Example: Two Exchangers, One Booking to PotiTwo custom shell & tube exchangers — a 3.95-tonne compact unit and an 11.85-tonne long-tube unit — packed differently because of their size, shipped from Shanghai to Poti as one 15.8-tonne consignment with zero transport damage. Full record: YUHONG GROUP Two Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers Shipped to Poti, Georgia: 15.8-Ton Export Case.
Frequently Asked Questions How long does a custom exchanger take before it can ship?Fabrication starts after drawing approval, not after the order; approving the site interface quickly is the biggest saving on the schedule.
What documents should a buyer request before loading?Hydrotest certificates, inspection report, dimensional check sheet, packing list, lifting point diagram with centre of gravity, and loading photographs.
Who signs off the packing list and shipping marks?The supplier issues them, the third-party inspector verifies weights and dimensions, and the carrier confirms the stowage plan against them.
Planning an export to Georgia or the Caucasus? Share duty conditions, nozzle schedule and site layout; we will return a drawing-stage proposal with packing data to quote freight against. See our TEMA shell & tube heat exchangers.
