A method and an apparatus for producing a block for a plate heat exchange is described wherein partition plates and heat-conducting structures are stacked together with brazing material in a block, and the block is subjected to a first force in the vertical direction. A first, upper section of the block is heated to a brazing-material softening temperature, and at the same time, a second section of the block is brought to a tempering temperature which is lower than the brazing-material softening temperature. Subsequently, the block is not subjected to any force from the outside or is subjected to a second force which is lower than the first force, and the second section of the block is brought to a brazing-material softening temperature. At the same time, the first section is brought to a tempering temperature which is lower than the brazing-material softening temperature.