The work aims to substantially optimize the working performance of the gravure printing machine, so as to provide sustainable and stable heat source for the drying box. The simulation analysis of heat exchanger was carried out according to the theory of fluid mechanics and heat transfer. The mapping relation between the heat exchange efficiency of finned tube’s heat exchanger and the fin height, fin spacing and heat exchange tube arrangement was studied. The heat transfer efficiency decreased with the increase of fin spacing and 3 mm was a better spacing than others. The lower fin height made the heat exchanger more compact. Among the arrangement of equilateral triangle, corner equilateral triangle, square and corner square, the outlet temperature of equilateral triangle arrangement was uniform and its heat transfer efficiency was the highest. As for the selection of structural performances of heat exchanger of the gravure printing machine, the heat exchanger with small fin spacing, low fin height and in equilateral triangle arrangement should be preferably selected. It provides a theoretical basis for the heat exchanger with the optimal performance to be used by the enterprises.