[en] A procedure is described for the manufacture and the construction of a bundle of a large number of pipes, at least near their outer ends lying practically evenly spaced which pipes lie with one of their outermost ends in a pipe plate and with their other outer ends in a second pipe plate, where the procedure involves placing at or near the derived place a means for holding the bundle of pipes, as well as eventually holding a pipe plate with stub pipes near the outer ends of the bundle of pipes, the successive attachment by means of welding of the pipes in the plate of the above mentioned assembly with the stub pipes, characterized in that to each of the pipes in the bundle is welded to an outer end directly a corresponding short pipe which is also welded to a pipe end of a stub pipe, so that a connection is made by the short pipe which lies between the outer end of the pipe in the bundle and the stub pipe. Such a construction is used in the heat exchanger of sodium cooled reactors. (G.C.)