Reservoir Tanks "The Power of Process"

Here at Keltech we manufacture reservoir tanks in all shapes and sizes; from stand alone component tanks to chassis integrated, our reservoir tanks range across all complexities of geometry.

After fabrication, our reservoir tanks are sealed and pressurized with air for the purpose of leak testing. The reservoirs are doused with a test solution and the weld areas are observed for any bubbles that might appear where there is an air leak. An ultrasonic leak detection method is in development to automate this test procedure and we plan to incorporate this into serial production in 2018.

Reservoir tank internal cleanliness is an area of expertise at Keltech and is an integral part of our overall manufacturing philosophy. This is a consideration that is evident throughout our production process and not just at the end.
Contamination from processes such as welding, grinding, cutting etc. have been reduced to a minimum by logical measures such as shielding surrounding surfaces as well as the use of shielding gasses to prevent oxide scales.

Then comes a post-fabrication wash process.
To clean the internal surfaces, a chemical cleaning solution is heated to 70°Celcius and pumped into the reservoir tanks at high pressure. This solution has excellent surfactant properties which inhibit the materials exposure to air and thus limit the potential for oxidation before the reservoir tank progresses to the next stage; cleanliness certification.

After the cleaning process, the reservoir tanks undergo one of two possible cleanliness testing procedures; Gravimetric Testing or a Continuous Flush Monitoring Test.

Based on the ISO4405 and ISO16232 cleanliness standards, the gravimetric testing is relatively straight forward. The reservoir tanks are sealed and partially filled with a test liquid that is used to extract any contaminations that may be inside the reservoir tank. The test liquid is then drained and vacuumed through a membrane filter (5 micron) to trap any solid particle contaminants. The weight of these particles is measured in milligram and this result is used to determine the overall cleanliness of the reservoir tank.

The continuous flush monitoring test is a reservoir tank specific testing method and is used to certify each particular reservoir tank to a predefined standard of cleanliness according to ISO4406 18/16/13.
Test fluid is circulated through the reservoir tank and then passed through an in-line contamination monitor. The test solution is filtered and recirculated through the reservoir tank until the required cleanliness level has been achieved.

That is a basic summary of our cleanliness and testing capability as it stands today at Keltech. We are continuously looking at these areas and further developing our own systems and standards specifically relating to the internal cleanliness of reservoir tanks justifying our reputation as the industry experts in this field.

Enjoyed reading this post or want to find out more? Contact me on seamus.lawlor@keltech.ie or 00353864681333

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