Rotomolded fuel tanks combine design flexibility and seamless construction with durability and corrosion resistance. They’re produced with rotational molding, a plastics manufacturing process that fills a heated mold with a polymer and then rotates the tool around two perpendicular axes. The plastic spreads, adheres evenly to the inner surface of the mold, and forms a strong, hollow part.
If you’re designing a fuel tank, have you considered rotational molding for your project? Plastic tanks are lighter weight and less expensive than metal ones, and rotational molding uses less expensive tooling than injection molding. Rotomolding also offers greater design freedom and doesn’t introduce internal stresses, an advantage in large, hollow components such as tanks.
Keep reading to learn about the advantages of rotomolded fuel tanks, and contact us for a quote.
Design Flexibility
For fuel tanks and other plastic products, rotational molding supports complex and varied designs. That’s important for parts such as tanks, which vary not only in size and shape, but also with where they’re installed and used.
Durability
Metals are usually stronger and more rigid than plastics, but they’re also susceptible to denting and deformation. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a rotomolding plastic with high tensile strength and good impact resistance. It also withstands fuels such as diesel, gasoline, and kerosene.
Seamless Construction
Most metal fuel tanks are made by welding together sheets of stamped metal. Yet the welding process create a seam which can crack and leak over time. Rotational molding does not produce seams or weld or lines, and fuel tank designs can include metal components that are molded-in.
Corrosion Resistance
Unlike metals, most plastics do not corrode. This makes them a good choice for environments where fuel tanks are exposed to moisture, salt, or other corrosive agents. HDPE provides excellent corrosion resistance, but polypropylene (PP) – another rotomolding material – is also very corrosion resistant.
Ask Gregstrom about Rotomolded Fuel Tanks
Gregstrom Corporation is a rotational molder with 75+ years of plastics manufacturing experience and value-added services that include design assistance, tooling, and plastic finishing. For rotomolded fuel tanks and other rotationally molded products, we’re the Made in USA manufacturer that does more. Contact us for a quote.
