R.W. Fernstrum
US maker of GRIDCOOLER keel coolers.
- Enhanced listing
- Since 1945
- Menominee, MI
- Company
Business description
R.W. Fernstrum & Company engineers and manufactures keel coolers and other closed circuit cooling equipment for marine engines and onboard systems. Its GRIDCOOLER keel cooler is a factory assembled and tested copper-nickel unit with rectangular tubes and a one-piece brazed header.
- GRIDCOOLER keel coolers with one-piece header design, high-silver brazed joints that are ultrasonically inspected, and optional enhanced tube interiors
- WEKA Boxcoolers in uncoated 90/10 copper-nickel, mounted in a sea chest inside the hull, made in the United States in partnership with WEKA Marine
- WEKA Guard and WEKA Protector Type T protection against stray current corrosion
- OMEGA Laser Plate heat exchangers supplied with Omega Thermo Products
- Quotation and application support through a worldwide network of representatives
About
R.W. Fernstrum & Company was founded in 1945 and is based in Menominee, Michigan. In 1943 Robert W. Fernstrum, then working with Gray Marine, was assigned to solve cooling problems on the engines of U.S. Navy landing craft and engineered the first rectangular tube keel cooler. He received a patent for the design in 1945 and launched the company.
The business remains family owned and operated, with the fourth generation of the family now working in it. It is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company.
Fernstrum has partnerships with WEKA Marine to manufacture and sell copper-nickel boxcoolers for North and South America and with Omega Thermo Products for laser plate heat exchangers.
Legal name: R.W. Fernstrum & Company. Brands: GRIDCOOLER, WEKA Boxcooler, OMEGA Laser Plate.
Products · 11 of 11
Equipment
Angled Tube GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler
Side-mounted keel cooler with angled tubes that harness natural convection for zero-knot and stationary duty — generators at the dock, buoys and pump stations.
Equipment
Fernstrum® GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler
Factory-assembled 90/10 copper-nickel keel cooler with a one-piece brazed header, 56% silver-brazed joints and Fernstrum's exclusive enhanced-interior tubing — the long-established choice of naval architects for closed-circuit engine cooling.
Engineering & Design
Keel Cooler & Boxcooler Sizing and Engineering
Free application engineering from Fernstrum: cooler sizing, configuration, placement and installation advice for keel coolers and boxcoolers based on your engine, vessel and operating conditions — with data on file for all major engine makers.
Equipment
OMEGA Clamp-On Laser Plate Heat Exchangers
Laser-plate jackets that clamp onto existing tanks and vessels to add heating or cooling — usually no welding on the tank and far cheaper than a new jacketed tank.
Equipment
OMEGA Laser Plate™
Laser-welded pillow plate (immersion plate) heat exchangers in stainless steel, duplex, nickel alloys or titanium — custom-built for cargo hold and tank heating, heat recovery and de-icing on ships and offshore units; supplied by R.W. Fernstrum with Omega Thermo Products.
System / Package
OMEGA Reinforced Laser Plate Banks for Cargo Hold Heating
Structurally reinforced stainless laser-plate heat-exchanger banks that replace failing pipe coils in barge and tanker cargo holds — built to survive sloshing loads in part-filled tanks while heating crude oil, caustic soda and other cargoes.
Equipment
OMEGA Suction & Bayonet Heaters
Flange-mounted laser-plate heaters inserted through the tank side: bayonet heaters for energy- and water-saving tank heating, and shrouded suction heaters that warm viscous cargo or fuel right at the pump suction.
Equipment
Stacked GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler
Two-tier (stacked or double-stacked) copper-nickel keel cooler that delivers more heat rejection in a smaller hull footprint — ideal for large engines and repowers.
Equipment
WEKA Boxcooler™
Uncoated 90/10 copper-nickel boxcooler mounted inside a sea chest — closed-circuit cooling for engines up to 10,000 kW with in-hull protection from ice, debris and grounding; built in the USA by R.W. Fernstrum under licence from WEKA Marine.
System / Package
WEKA Guard & WEKA Protector Type T – Boxcooler Protection System
Protection units exclusive to WEKA copper-nickel boxcoolers: the Guard shields the cooler from welding currents during construction; the Protector Type T guards against ICCP and stray currents in service and keeps the natural anti-fouling layer active — no ICAF needed.
Equipment
GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler – 5000 Series Aluminum
TIG-welded 5000-series aluminium keel cooler designed for unpainted aluminium hulls in fresh or cold seawater — alloy-matched to the hull to prevent galvanic pitting.