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Steel tanks are an important part of the infrastructure in many industries, from petrochemical, construction, industrial manufacturing, transport, agriculture and defence. The design and manufacture of tanks requires a precise combination of engineering, technology and safety regulations. It also demands a deep understanding of the customer’s expectations, which are a product of the purpose of the investment being made, the type of medium to be stored in the tank and the operating conditions of the finished tank. This type of product is not bought on impulse, nor is it manufactured to sit in a warehouse waiting for a potential customer. Each unit that leaves our production plant in Piotrków Kujawski (Poland) has unique characteristics and is the result of a series of carefully thought-out and properly organized activities, the progress of which is strictly controlled from the design stage of the tank to its delivery to the destination. In this article you will learn how the steel tanks supplied by Ekonstal are manufactured.
Preparing the tank design
The steel tank design process begins with a detailed analysis of the customer’s requirements and the industry regulations, standards and legislation that must be met. If the customer requires our full expertise, we will prepare the technical documentation from scratch, taking into account all aspects from safety to efficiency. In many cases, we work from documentation provided by the client, adapting it to the manufacturing standards and requirements of the job.
Using advanced CAD software, our design engineers produce accurate technical drawings and define the parameters of the structure. At this stage it is essential to take into account the specific operating conditions of the tank and the physical and chemical properties of the product to be stored. Every detail is considered, from the thickness, impact strength and type of steel alloy, to the number of shells and chambers, fittings and accessories, corrosion protection and monitoring systems. The end result of the steel tank design phase is a complete technical documentation containing all the details, drawings and specifications agreed with the customer. Once these elements have been approved, the manufacturing phase begins.
Steel tank manufacturing
The manufacture of steel tanks is a process that requires precision, the use of appropriate technology and strict quality procedures. This guarantees both the manufacture of a high quality product and the complete safety of the workers.
The documentation agreed at the design stage is sent by the design department to the relevant organizational units in the factory, initiating the production cycle. The standard production flow for a steel tank includes the stages described below. Some of these stages (such as production or preparation of the relevant equipment) can be carried out in parallel, while others must be carried out in a specific sequence.
Production activities at the steel tank stage:
- taking the appropriate raw materials from stock,
- cutting large sheets of metal using a plasma burner to obtain workpieces that conform in shape and dimensions to the technical drawings,
- rolling (coiling) the sheet metal using rolling machines, which is giving the sheet metal the desired radius and forming it into a cylinder (tank lip),
- joining together the metal sheet, the dividing bottoms (which divide the tank into chambers) and the opening and closing bottoms. Specialized equipment is used for this process, such as a spannring, which is a clamping ring centering the sheets and the bottom of the tank, as well as welding towers, thanks to which the sheets and the bottom of the tank are joined together in a quick and precise manner (welding process).
- in the case of double-walled tanks- the installation of a second wall,
- routing and cutting out openings for fittings, e.g. manholes, stub pipes, etc,
- making the fittings and welding them to the tank,
- welding of pad foundations in the case of aboveground tanks,
- grit-blasting, which is abrasive blasting aimed at preparing the steel surface for painting and application of protective and anticorrosive coatings; the purpose of grit -blasting is to remove rust and impurities from the steel surface and to achieve an appropriate degree of purity in accordance with the PN-EN ISO 8501-1 standard,
- internal and external painting according to customer’s needs; depending on the type of tank, external painting may include application of an epoxy primer followed by two layers of polyurea paint, painting with Endoprene or application of another coating with appropriate parameters,
- preparation and installation of tank equipment (manhole covers, fittings on the covers)
- assembly of other equipment and fittings such as platforms, filboxes, ladders, railings,
- final quality control, including relevant quality and safety tests (visual, leakage, pressure, etc.),
- preparation of the tank for transport.
For the production of tanks with non-standard parameters, the process can be extended to include additional steps such as:
- fitting of side lighting or top lighting
- installation of monitoring systems, leak detection systems, etc.
- installation of a loading pump
- application of additional thermal insulation, e.g. to one of the chambers in a single-chamber tank or insulation with mineral wool and aluzinc sheeting of the entire tank,
- installation of a platform for the fuel dispenser and a roof,
- – installation of the tank in a suitable container,
- installation of a platform for the fuel dispenser and a roof, installation of the tank in an appropriately adapted container.
Each of the above stages is supervised and controlled by the Quality Control Department, which ensures that the final product fully complies with the approved documentation and meets all quality and technical expectations.
In the case of tanks that are subject to technical supervision, inspectors from the supervision department check the conformity of the tank design with the documentation, standards and regulations at each stage of production.
Delivery of the tank
The final stage is the delivery of the tank to the customer. We work with proven and reliable haulers who guarantee the safe and timely transport of the tank to its final destination, regardless of the country in which it is located. Due to the large size and weight of the tanks we produce, we follow strict procedures regarding loading and the method of mounting the product on the trailer. We have a specialized overhead crane, cranes and lifting winches to ensure that the tank is lifted and lowered in a safe and fully controlled manner.
From concept to functional storage solutions for liquids
The manufacture of steel tanks is a complex process. It requires precision, experience and constant quality control at every stage. Each tank is the result of the careful work of a team of specialists – tradesmen, constructors, welders, fitters, painters, CNC machine operators, warehouse persons and others. Their common goal is to provide the customer with safe, high-quality, reliable, functional, efficient and compliant solutions for the storage of various types of liquid substances.
