Pressure & process vessels

Vessels to drawing – for processes where standard will not do.

Pressure & process vessels

Customer-specific process and pressure vessels in stainless steel

Process vessels are matched to their plant. Volume, geometry, connections, pressure, temperature, material, surface and internals all follow from the process itself – which is why a standard vessel rarely fits without compromise.

stainlesstec makes process and pressure vessels to drawing and CAD data: from the simple storage or process vessel to a completed system component with agitator, instrumentation or other internals.

Our experience ranges from vessels for the production, storage and processing of liquids through pressure-bearing components to vacuum chambers and heat exchanger parts. For this work we are qualified to AD 2000 HP 0 in conjunction with DIN EN ISO 3834-3.

Process vessels · pressure vessels · agitated vessels · tanks · vacuum chambers · system components

Process vessel or pressure vessel?

The two terms are often used together, but they do not mean the same thing.

A process vessel holds media and stores, mixes, doses, heats or moves them between process stages. What counts is function, material, geometry, connections, surface and how it fits into the plant.

A pressure vessel operates under relevant positive pressure or vacuum. Legal and technical requirements then apply: the European Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU covers pressure equipment and assemblies with a maximum allowable pressure above 0.5 bar. What applies in a given case depends on pressure, volume, fluid and classification.

Before production starts we therefore clarify not only the geometry but also how the vessel is classified.

The vessel starts with the process

A good vessel is not designed around a machine; it follows from the application. For production, the relevant points are:

Medium – what is stored, mixed or processed?
Pressure and temperature – what operating and design conditions apply?
Material – which stainless grade is specified?
Surface – what roughness, grit or post-treatment is required?
Connections – which flanges, nozzles, sensors or fittings are to be integrated?
Internals – agitator, heating and cooling surfaces, instrumentation?
Cleaning – requirements for CIP, drainability or hygienic design?
Testing and documentation – what evidence does the finished vessel have to come with?

The sooner these points are settled, the more cleanly production can be planned.

From the shell to the system component

Many operations come together here in one chain. Depending on the vessel, these include:

CAD data and drawing
cutting
roll bending and bending
joint preparation
TIG, MIG or longitudinal seam welding
fitting nozzles, flanges and components
straightening and surface finishing
assembly
testing and documentation

The result is more than a vessel shell: pressure vessels with agitator, instrumentation and control panel can be supplied as largely completed system components on request.

Vessel types in detail

Agitated, mixing & dosing vessels

Where the vessel itself becomes part of the process: geometry, agitator mounting, bottom shape, outlet, measuring points and heating or cooling surfaces all have to suit the process. We integrate agitator mountings, nozzles, flanges, sensor connections and internals as the project requires.

More on agitated, mixing & dosing vessels

Tank & vessel construction

Not every vessel works under pressure. Unpressurised tanks are demanding too – through large dimensions, thin-walled construction, visible surfaces, complex internals, complete drainability or defined surfaces.

Vacuum chambers

Vacuum makes different demands than positive pressure: weld quality, tightness, surface condition and design detail decide the outcome. Even small leaks can impair function.

When a welded structure becomes pressure equipment

With pressure-bearing vessels, geometrically sound manufacturing is not enough. Materials, welding processes, personnel qualification, production supervision and testing all have to be organised within the applicable code.

We built up our pressure vessel business in 2016 and are qualified for it to AD 2000 HP 0 and DIN EN ISO 3834-3. AD 2000 HP 0 is the manufacturer qualification in the context of the Pressure Equipment Directive; DIN EN ISO 3834-3 is the welding quality basis that goes with it.

In practice that means it is not only the vessel that has to meet the requirements, but the manufacturing process as well. More under Quality & certifications.

The surface can be part of the process

In pharmaceutical, food and process technology the internal surface is not merely a question of looks. It affects cleanability, product adhesion, corrosion resistance, hygienic suitability, residual drainage and whether cleaning processes can be validated.

Surface requirements should therefore be specified precisely. Rather than “ground”, give the grit, the Ra value, the grinding direction, the product-contact areas and any post-treatment – welds and transitions included.

Segregated production for high-grade vessels

Surface quality begins long before the final grinding pass. We process stainless steel and aluminium in a segregated environment with no contact with other types of steel, which lowers the risk of iron contamination and surface damage while the part is still being made.

Particularly relevant for pharmaceuticals, food processing, hygienic processes and high-quality visible surfaces. More under Segregated stainless production.

Vessels for food and pharmaceutical plant

Process and pressure vessels for the pharmaceutical and food industries are one of our focuses. Typical requirements there:

high-quality stainless steel surfaces
good cleanability
defined product-contact areas
controlled welds
documented materials
tightness
repeatable manufacturing

What actually applies always follows from your specification.

Testing is part of manufacturing

Different vessels call for different tests – depending on the project, dimensional checks, visual inspection, tightness testing, pressure testing, weld testing and electrical testing on completed systems.

On-site repairs to process and pressure vessels and the installation of complete system components are also possible. The exact test plan follows from the project and the applicable code.

Think documentation in from the start

With qualified vessels the finished apparatus is only part of the delivery. Depending on the application, it comes with:

material certificates
welding documentation
inspection records
marking
traceability records
acceptance documents
project-specific certificates

Papers like these cannot be gathered up once production is over. Whatever has to be evidenced later must be organised while the work is under way.

Typical applications

Food processing technology

Process, storage and mixing vessels for production plant, dosing and thermal processes.

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Pharmaceutical & process technology

Vessels with particular requirements for material, surface, weld quality and documentation.

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Machinery & plant engineering

Customer-specific tanks and vessels as part of complete machines and plant.

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High technology & special applications

Vacuum chambers and special vessels with heightened demands on tightness and manufacturing quality.

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What we need for a sound enquiry

For a quick project assessment the following help most:

drawing or STEP data
vessel volume
material
wall thicknesses
medium
operating and design pressure
operating temperature
connections and nozzles
internals
agitator, if any
heating or cooling function, if any
surface requirements
cleaning requirements
testing requirements
documentation required
quantity

Not everything defined yet? Then we will use an early design stage to work out which production details are still missing.

You define the process. We build the vessel for it.

Whether a process vessel, pressure vessel, agitated vessel or vacuum chamber: send us the design and the technical requirements.

Production planning, welding engineering and quality assurance will assess together what scope of manufacturing, testing and documentation your project requires.

Let’s talk about your project.

Send us your drawing or CAD data by email – together with material, batch size and your requirements. We will come back to you with a sound assessment.

Send an enquiry by email

or write directly to info@stainlesstec.de – simply attach your drawing, STEP or DXF file.

DIRECT LINE: +49 5121 690 85-0