Hydroforming and Custom Tank Heads from Helander

This blog has showcased our custom tank heads before, exhibiting our dedication to quality above all else in fulfilling your custom product orders. Today we’re going to be talking about them again, as a lens through which to look at one of our other manufacturing processes: hydroforming. While metal spinning is our core business and the process we use whenever we determine it to be the best match, hydroforming is ideal for custom tank head manufacturing thanks to its ability to combine product strength, concave form, and light weight.

Let’s look at each of those factors a little more closely.

Product Strength: Custom tank heads are typically responsible for keeping oil, fuel, or liquid food products secured within a tank or pressure vessel. The demands of these types of automotive/transportation applications mean that improperly formed tank heads can easily deform, crack, and bend. This makes it that much easier for them to come loose at some point down the road – and probably on the road. Lost time and lost product are the result.

Concave Form: Hydroforming uses liquid pressure to form flat metal plate into the shape of a mold, quickly, easily, and cost-efficiently producing the required rounded forms.

Light Weight: In automotive applications, weight is a critical concern for manufacturers. Every extra pound and ounce means decreased fuel efficiency, which can add up quite a bit for a fleet of trucks or trailers. Hydroforming is a great way to provide the required product strength while still keeping weight down.