Tanks. How are they manufactured?

[Viltsu]

I spent hours reading/browsing through this tanks and valves section and there seems to be high demands on quality and other properties of tanks. I started to wonder what kind of prosess a tank must go through on factory before ending on local store. I quess they are using certain brands of steel/alloy an most likely tanks must be heat treated somehow to make them even and strong enough. Does someone know where I could find more info about these things?

 

[Irishdiver]

Hi Viltsu, welcome to the boards. Good to see us Europeans are growing in numbers here.

You could always try the Faber website. There is a section under menu/divecylinders/production process that explains how the tanks are made.

 

[Tavi]

There is some info on the PST website

http://www.pressedsteel.com/page6.html

 

[jbd]

a video by Catalina which shows the production process for an AL80. The tank is made from a solid cylinder of aluminum and cold pressed to a hollow cylinder by a hydraulic piston.

 

[bwerb]

A disk of aluminum or steel is placed over a tank shaped mold. A massive hydaulic press in the shape of the tank but a bit smaller so it fits inside the mold is pressed into the mold "through" the metal disk forming it into the shape of the tank (I'm guessing this is where 'Pressed Steel Tanks' got it's name). You can try it at home with the playdough!

 

[Viltsu]

If the tank is pressed from one metal plate you end up with test tube shape with no neck like tanks do have. forming the neck sounds much more complicated job. Is it done from piece of metal welded on the 'test tube'?

 

[scubatexastony]

forming the neck sounds much more complicated job

are used form the end of the "test tube" into it's shape and then the threads are machined, i. e. the tank is rolled and there are shaped presses that roll/form the end while heating the "neck" end to form the top of the tank. Seamless tank!

tony