Light Weight Plastic Hydraulic Reservoirs

So, what are you looking for?

Just want to see what peoples opinions of them are is all. What their thoughts are and what they suggestions would to be , pros and cons so to speak.. Sorry i did not add that in my dumb..

In some applications they are great. I would not use them for mobile equipment, or in any environment subject to UV rays, chance of mechanical damage, or (depending on type of plastic) in chemically harsh environment (sometimes it could be just the answer).

They are cheap.

They are cheap.

They are cheap.

They don't weigh much (as you stated)

They cannot be added to or upgraded at any point in the future, so you had better get it designed right the first time.

^{I mostly don't like them... mostly.}

If you want a sturdy long lasting reservoir, with proper clean-out covers to do your annual reservoir cleaning, you should go with the traditional steel reservoir with proper clean-outs.

I would imagine these would be great if they were in a safe location out of the sunlight. All the reservoirs I design/Build/And sell are steel, or stainless steel. But I have come across some high volume (thousands per year) applications, where the reservoir would be kept inside a climate controlled cabinet, away from any dangers, and these small plastic reservoirs would be a great answer for a very economical approach.

All-in-all its a completely per job decision, which you would need to weigh the plastic VS the standard metal depending on environmental conditions, customer requirements, chemical compatibilities, upgrade options etc etc.

As previously stated, plus a few

DEFINATELY not in sunlight!

Caution about the compatibility of the oils and the plastic. (Don't trust manufacturer's assurances)

Definately away from spill areas of other fuels and oils. (compatability again)

Definately fully supported.

Definately vented.

Apply NO EXTERNAL forces to the container. (No clamping etc that would create localised stress points.)

Use flexible hose couplings (not overtightened) to allow movement of reservoir relative to vehicle.

Die cast fitting on top looks another weak point (But I could be wrong on the material.)

If a metal one was less than 2x price, I'd buy the metal. (Based on experience with multiple jerry cans used for fuels on farm and travelling.)

For a good many years now reservoirs on mobile equipment have been made in plastic with great success. (As have fuel tanks)They can be manufactured in complex shapes are extremely rigid and strong and light weight. There is no danger of debris inside as the process is clean.The manufacturing process is very cost effective and beats steel and Stainless steel hands down. The main disadvantage is heat dissipation but on mobile plant this is not a real problem as the reservoirs are small (one times pump output or less) and so heat exchangers are nearly always fitted anyway. ( It is a myth that reservoirs dissipate large amounts of heat a 600 litre reservoir gets rid of about 4kw's). The other favorite use is small intermittent duties such as dock levellers where they are small compact etc.Go with them for many applications they are very good.
Oliver DunthorneHydraulic Engineer

Thank you very much oliver, always a pleasure to have your input in these matters. The reason i posted this is i have recently started making these tanks myself for small equipment and or recovery vehicles etc.. I wanted to see what the response to them would be and see if there were more against than for..

I think that an application such as a recovery vehicle (intermittent duty) is ideal. It also has the added advantage if it is translucent plastic you can see how much fluid you have in the reservoir.

regards

Oliver Dunthorne

I like this design and can think of several applications that this could work in. Do you manufacture these? How can I purchase?