Custom stainless steel tanks are types of vessels that are fabricated to meet the specific requirements for transportation or storage purposes, unlike generic vessels. These are manufactured from stainless steel grades such as 304 and 316 steels, which are corrosion-resistant and easy to clean.
Custom stainless steel tanks are generally used in the food industry, pharmaceutical, oil storage, and chemical storage industries. Custom stainless steel tanks are available in vertical or horizontal configurations as per the requirements of the customers. The conceptual designs, fabrication process, fitting or tolerance, and the final finish of the fabricated custom stainless steel tanks ensure the quality and reliability of the tanks.
Types of Stainless Steel Tanks
The stainless steel tanks are available in many forms that are suitable for storing the fluid. The custom stainless steel tanks are mostly categorized into storage tanks, fuel tanks, mixing tanks, etc.
Storage tanks
Custom stainless steel tanks are fabricated to store fluid or bulk ingredients for a longer time by maintaining the safety of the system as well as the fluid properties. Storage tanks are available in horizontal, vertical, and pressurized orientations and can range from small tanks to large outdoor storage tanks.
Storage stainless steel tanks are used to store raw materials such as water, oils, and other harmful chemicals. This can also be used to store the finished product before packaging. It is also used as a buffer tank between various stages in the manufacturing process. The major design considerations of the well-designed custom stainless steel storage tanks are given below:
∙ The selection of the appropriate stainless-steel materials, such as grade 304 or 316, as per the requirement
∙ The thickness of the storage tank for structural integrity
∙ Protection of overflow as well as proper ventilation
∙ Proper arrangement for food-grade storage
∙ Use of the insulation to maintain the temperature
Fuel tanks
Custom stainless steel fuel tanks are built to ensure the safe transport or storage of fuels such as diesel, gasoline, and other combustible liquids. The major design considerations of the custom stainless steel fuel tanks are as follows:
∙ The thickness of the fuel tanks must be chosen as per the requirement to prevent leakage and contamination.
∙ The fuel tanks must comply with the safety standards and codes to protect them from fire and environmental hazards.
∙ The proper ventilation system must be installed to prevent the vapor expansion and overpressure during the filling and withdrawal of the fuels.
∙ Double wall construction must be specified to prevent it from contamination.
∙ The mounting system, such as brackets and baffles, must be equipped with transport vehicles or fuel tanks to control the sloshing and fitting.
Mixing tanks
Custom stainless steel mixing tanks are process or agitation tanks that are designed to hold, mix, blend, or react the fluid for later use across several industries. The key design considerations of the custom stainless steel mixing tanks are given as:
∙ The agitation system must be specified, and proper controls should be maintained to blend the liquids.
∙ Baffles and internal may be installed to improve the flow mixing. It is also used to prevent vortex formation and overheating.
∙ The geometry of the tanks could be designed for the optimum flow mixing and complete drainage.
∙ Several instrumentation systems, such as level sensors and temperature probes, could be fitted properly to provide precise control.
∙ For the food industries, sanitary construction, such as interiors, can be polished with the required roughness to maintain hygiene.
Fabrication process for custom stainless-steel tanks
Custom stainless steel tanks are fabricated using a step-by-step process to ensure the quality of the tanks. The right design for products, with several metalworking processes, makes it more reliable in storage applications. The following are the step-by-step processes for fabricating the custom stainless steel tanks:
Design requirement
All design requirements are gathered to meet the customers’ needs. The preliminary concepts or design of the tanks are proposed. The three-dimensional detailed design is performed to ensure the requirements. The process starts by selecting the following things:
∙ Capacity and pressure of the tanks
∙ Storage product must be identified, such as fuels, dairy products, water, or chemicals
∙ Operating temperature range
∙ Orientation and dimensions of the storage tanks
∙ Types of tanks
After selecting the above items, the designer creates a three-dimensional CAD model of the tanks with a two-dimensional layout for fabrication of the tanks. All design codes and standards must be followed during the design of the tanks. The calculation for the structural supports must be done. The detailed design reviews with the client might change some dimensions before fabrication as per their needs.
Materials selection and preparation for fabrication
After the approval of the design for the custom stainless steel tanks, the materials selection must begin with the design requirements. The proper materials, such as grades 304 or 316, can be selected to withstand the load and chemical reactions. The detailed design must be analyzed by the fabricators.
The procurement process for raw materials for plates, sheets, and profiles has been completed as per the design requirements. The cutting of the raw materials for the fabrication processes is done in this step to produce the shells and other support parts for the tanks. The proper handling of materials, such as the selection of the tools, is critical for the fabrication of the tanks.
Forming and rolling
After the preparation work and material selection process, the forming and rolling process of the cut parts is performed. The basic steps for forming and rolling for the fabrication of the tanks are as follows:
∙ The shells of the tanks are rolled into cylinders using the pallet rollers.
∙ The tank heads, including dishes, conical, and spherical sections, are formed using pressing and other techniques that depend on the design of the tanks.
∙ The structural components, such as skirts, legs, and stiffening, are fabricated for the custom stainless-steel tanks
∙ The tolerance of each component must be carefully analyzed before joining the components to avoid misalignment and re-fabrication.
Joining and Assembling
The joining of the fabricated components of the stainless steel tanks is performed using welding or riveting as per the design requirements. Welding is the most common joining process to permanently join parts of custom stainless steel tanks to avoid leakage and structural failure. Several welding techniques are used to join the shells, tubes, and other structural components.
The most common welding methods used in the joining of shells and other components of tanks are TIG and MIG. Initially, the shell parts are tack-welded and then fully welded along the circumference seams for leakage-free and structural integrity.
The other parts, such as the bottom, top, manways, and internal components, are welded in accordance with the standard welding process specification for safety. The sanitary and high-pressure applications are welded according to the standards.
Surface finishing
The surface finishing of the custom stainless steel tanks must be done after welding and assembly to resist corrosion and maintain good surface quality. The welded areas and cut edges are cleaned and coated with the chemical.
The internal surfaces are mechanically polished to meet the requirements of the tanks in the industry. It also helps to avoid a rough surface and ensure full drainage in the food industry. The external surfaces can be brushed or polished as per the cleaning requirements and aesthetics.
The good surface finish and protection from corrosion are mandatory for the storage tanks to increase operational life and performance.
Testing and quality control
The custom stainless steel tanks are rigorously tested before shipment to verify the dimensional accuracy, pressure testing, and quality of the surface finishes. All the accessories are fitted and tested for operation to avoid system malfunctions.
Delivery, installation, and commissioning
The custom-built stainless steel tanks are delivered to the client as per the agreement. The protective covering and supports are applied to avoid transport damage. The installation of the tanks is done using lifting, anchoring the foundations for structural supports, and control of the systems at the installation location.
The commissioning process involves verifying connections, the control systems’ accuracy, and running the system in actual conditions. The fabrication process of the custom-built stainless steel tank is completed after these steps.
Conclusion
Custom stainless steel tanks have several advantages over standard vessels due to installation design flexibility, fabrication processes, and the properties of the steel.
The right selection of tanks, such as storage, fuels, or mixing, can give long-term reliability as well as efficient operation of the tank system. By following the design considerations and the fabrication process, the tanks become more efficient, safer, and lower the maintenance cost. Partner with Jianglin Steel to design the perfect custom tank solution for your facility.
FAQs
- What are custom stainless-steel tanks?
Custom stainless steel tanks are storage shells for fluids or bulky materials that are built by the fabricator rather than generic tanks.
- What are the types of custom-built stainless steel tanks?
The major types of custom-built stainless steel tanks are storage tanks, fuel tanks, and mixing tanks.
- Why do you choose custom stainless steel tanks instead of the standard tanks?
Custom stainless steel tanks have design flexibility. You can design as per your capacity, dimensions, and add your own features to the tanks. This allows you to improve product quality as well as the performance of the system. This also reduces the waste of raw material.
- How can I select the materials for the custom-built stainless steel tanks?
You can select the stainless steel grades based on your requirements. Grade 304 is used for food applications, such as dairy products and water storage. On the other hand, 316 is chosen for the corrosive environment to avoid chemical corrosion.
