JERRY CANS
Stainless steel and painted jerry cans
We specialize also in powder painted steel jerry cans and stainless steel canisters production.
Material - deep pressed steel sheets.
Welding on the plasma machines.
Powder painting with FAPROXYD 100 resistant to ethylene.
The jerry cans are suitable for storing U95, Pb 95, Pb 98 and Diesel.
Capacity for holding liquid volume 5 L, 10 L and 20 L. One or both
sides paint coating. Standard colour RAL 6003 or as per customers
request.
Products are certified with:
- TUV issued by TUV Rheinland
- UN Numbers issued by D/BAM
- GS/TUV issued by Rheinland Product Safety
These certificates are accepted and recognized by all EU countries, they indicate that the product complies with all the rigid and strict safety requirements.
GELG - canister
So far nobody has invented perpetuum mobile – a machine, which, against the laws of physics, would work without drawing energy from outside. Among others, that is why we drive cars which need fuel. And in a situation where the nearest fuel station is too far away or there is no time for traditional refuelling, a canister comes in handy – a portable, metal container for fuel. Gelg company, located in the Wielkopolska town of Ćmiechowo, manufactures metal canisters of various capacities. We will look at how the largest, 20 litre canisters, are made.
We begin at the cutting shop. Here a packet of 0.8 mm thick steel sheet is received. Before it is machined, it must be cut to smaller formats. For this, the 1250 x 1500 mm steel sheet is placed in a cutter which effortlessly slices through the metal.
A deep-drawing steel sheet is used for the production of canisters. This means that the sheet must be elastic enough otherwise it would break during machining. In order to check is the sheet is suitable for production, a “drawing test” is performed. For this test, a sample is placed in a machine. Gradually a ball is pressed into the metal sheet, which is then deformed and, at some point, broken. The measure of drawability is the depth of the deformation measured in millimetres.
Because 70% of the production of canisters is plastic forming of metal, we will go through a series of presses on which specific elements of the final product are made.
The bands of steel sheet cut earlier are placed in the first press. The pressure of 160 tonnes – equal to the weight of 40 adult African elephants – cuts the bands into forms. The forms will create the left and right side of the 20-litre canister. This means that one band of steel will make one canister.
In the next step, the side of the canister is formed. The sheet is again taken to a press which now forms it to a required shape. First the sheet is covered with oil which reduces traction. Next, the press slider, where the tool punch is fixed, is lowered and gives the sides their proper shape. Additional ribbing on the side’s surface strengthen and stiffen it. If the ribbing was not made, the canister sides could deform, e.g. bend or bulge out, when the fuel is poured in.
The excess sheet, created during forming of the sides, must be removed. This time, a 315 tonne press separates the excess material from the canister sides. This operation is called ripping.
Now, in both sides of the canister, the rims must be formed. This operation is conducted in order to enable welding of the sides later on. This was they form the entire canister.
The turned rims must now be straightened. During welding, the sides will have to align perfectly because the torch uses the canister metal sheet for welding. If the canister sides did not touch along the entire rim, micro openings would be created and this way the canister would not be tight.
The canister sides prepared in the above manner must now be degreased, that is cleaned from grease and other grime. The employees place the elements on specially prepared stands, which are transported to a washing station with the help of a conveyor. Inside a booth, the elements are first degreased, then rinsed twice, and finally covered in a layer of anticorrosive varnish. The cleaned canister halves then ride on to the dryer, where they are thoroughly dries using hot air blowers.
Now it is time for the welding we mentioned earlier. The cleaned canister sides are transported to the welding station. An employee places the halves in a specially prepared holder and checks if the halves adhere well to each other. Next the plasma torch is started, which permanently joins the two halves. After this operation, the newly created container is transported to inlet welding station.
Precisely, the inlet. It is an opening through which the fuel will be poured in and out. It is created from a pipe 4.5 cm in diameter. The pipe is cut into sections appropriate in length for the specific model, that will then be processed further.
In the next operation the pipe is cut at an angle. Thanks to this it will match the shape of the canister.
The last stage of inlet machining is shaping it in such a way that the seal placed in the lid will adhere 100% to the rim that is formed.
An important element of the inlet is the eye which enables closing of the canister. The lid’s catch will hook up to the eye. The eye is made of a ring of steel sheet. It is cut on a progressive press in one strike.
The last operation in preparing the complete inlet unit is shaping the eye that was cut out earlier. This way we obtain a shape which will enable welding of that element to the inlet.
Once we have the eye, it is time for the interlocking catch. It is one of the components of the lid that closes the canister. Just like the eye, it is cut from a metal disc.
The cut out catch is formed on the press to a final shape. In this form it will be riveted onto the inlet.
Let us return to the canister body. Using an arc welding torch, the ready inlet is welded onto the body. The process takes place on a specially adjusted machine, which by turning around facilitates welding of the components. After this operation the canister will be checked for leaks for the first time.
In order to be sure that the canister will not leak the liquids it contains, first the welds are inspected. An employee corrects the joining of the two halves by hand, of course using a torch. Next, the canister is closed with a special lid through which pressurised air is pumped inside the canister. The closed canister is then immersed in water. This way the employee can notice any possible leaks in the container. As needed, the joining is again corrected by a welder, after inspection for tightness, which is performed on 100% of the production.
The canister body is almost ready. However it is missing a handle for transportation. This component is made by a laser. First, a sheet of steel just 0.8 mm thick is placed on a loading table with the help of an overhead crane with suction cups. The table moves underneath the laser head, which, after programming, cuts out the shape of the canister handle. The 4 kW laser is powerful enough to enable fast and high precision cutting. The cut-out details are now removed and can be processed further in this form.
The handle forms cut out by the laser are stamped on a special press. This way they obtain the required shape, which - in case of a 20-litre canister – is a triple handle.
When the handle is ready, it can be joined to the container. First the canisters are placed in seats adjusted especially fro the specific model. Next, with the help of a metal clamp, the handle is adjusted on the canister. Now a robot steps in. It welds both components together. The joining must be strong enough to easily lift 20 litres of fuel.
Now we go to the varnishing workshop. The ready canister, already painted on the inside, is sprayed with paint in the form of powder. It is applied manually using special paint guns. Painting by this method works using the principles of electrostatics. This means that the powder has a different electrical charge than the canister and owing to this, sticks to the canister’s surface. The paint used for canister manufacturing must be resistant to leaded petrol – one of the components of fuel. It simply cannot dissolve when the container is used.
The painted canisters are placed in an oven where for the next 15 minutes in a temperature of 200 °C the polymerization process occurs as a result of which the powder applied to the details transforms into a tight and mechanically resistant varnish coat, which protects the canister from corrosion. After coming out of the oven, the container surface is smooth and gains the quality as stated on the certificate..
After baking the paint, the canisters are inspected for leaks the last time. Just as before, this means pumping pressurised air inside the container. Once more the quality of welds and the steel itself is inspected.
One of the final stages of completing a canister is fitting the lid with a rubber seal. Thanks to this seal, we can be sure the contents will not leak through the lid. The seal is pushed onto the ready lid.
In accordance with the standard, the instructions are glued onto the canister, describing how the container should be closed. Also the TÜV safety certificate sticker is placed on the canister.
Now all that is left is to rivet the lid and close the canister. This way the product is finished.
In the end the canisters are packed 5 pieces into a carton and loaded onto a lorry, which transports them to the buyer. Finally, they can land in our hands and save us from the trouble when a filling station is really far away…
