Big Tanker Weld. Just Curious...

[Ray C]

Hope this question belongs here... Just asking something out of curiosity...

When you see tanker trucks on the road, the kind that carry milk or food products and appear to be constructed of aluminum, what kind of welding process is used to put the end-cap sections on those big cylinder-shaped containers? The weld seams always look so nice and perfect. Is that done by a manual or automated process?

[Brian Ski]

Hope this question belongs here... Just asking something out of curiosity...

When you see tanker trucks on the road, the kind that carry milk or food products and appear to be constructed of aluminum, what kind of welding process is used to put the end-cap sections on those big cylinder-shaped containers? The weld seams always look so nice and perfect. Is that done by a manual or automated process?

Ah it is not a weld... It is a skin... I am guessing you are talking about the most common ones... The ones that are insulated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leZGhVz9cCQ

[redbeard]

Ah it is not a weld... It is a skin... I am guessing you are talking about the most common ones... The ones that are insulated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leZGhVz9cCQ

Dang, there is a youtube video for everything isn't there?

[Brian Ski]

Dang, there is a youtube video for everything isn't there?

I remember watching it the other day with the kids... Just wasn't sure if it was on utube or not.. Well I found it pretty quick...

[Ray C]

Thanks for passing that link along. Looks like three main processes. Automated plasma welding, manual MIG and manual TIG.

[Trip59]

Ok, so obviously they're not filling the entire tanker with Ar. When joining the head and the tubes, and closing the rolled sheet, what are they doing for the backside? OR, does the inside grinding take care of the back of the weld?

[redbeard]

what are they doing for the backside? OR, does the inside grinding take care of the back of the weld?

I think I remember them saying something about a belt sander.

[jerky]

weld the back side first, before the head is welded to the tank, grind the carbide from the front, install the head and finish the welds from the front. thats what we do with our tanks. (cryogenics)