HOW LONG DOES A CUSTOM TANK TAKE?
Lead times vary with the size and complexity of the tank and the shop schedule when you order. A typical tank project takes 20 to 24 weeks from purchase order to shipment. We’ll give you a real date when we quote and update you if it moves.
WHAT MATERIALS DOES WATSON WORK IN?
Primarily 304 and 316 stainless steel, which is what most tank buyers need. When the process demands more, we also fabricate in duplex stainless steels such as 2205, super-austenitic grades such as AL-6XN, Hastelloy (Alloy C-276 and C-22), Inconel (Alloy 600 and 625), and other high-nickel alloys for demanding corrosive environments. Our welders are qualified on these alloys, and as an ASME code shop, we track heat lots and verify material with positive material identification (PMI), so you get the grade you paid for. We don’t build carbon steel, bolted, coated, fiberglass, or poly tanks, or water towers. See High-Nickel Alloy Fabrication.
WHAT DRIVES THE PRICE OF A TANK?
Size and plate thickness come first, then the material grade, the finish, code requirements, and what’s built into the tank: agitation, heat transfer jackets, CIP systems, and nozzle count. A field-erected tank adds crew travel and site time. The more of that you can tell us up front, the faster we get to a firm number.
HOW BIG A TANK CAN YOU BUILD?
In our Springfield shop, up to 180 inches in diameter and about 70,000 gallons. For anything larger than that, our field crew builds the tank on your site, up to 500,000 gallons. We also build small vessels, and there’s no minimum order.
WHAT FINISHES ARE AVAILABLE?
Mill finish, mechanically polished interiors to your specified Ra for sanitary service, electropolished interiors for pharmaceutical and biotech work, passivation, and glass bead-blasted exteriors. Tell us the product and the standard it has to meet, and we’ll recommend the finish.
WHAT CODES AND STANDARDS DO YOU BUILD TO?
- We hold: ASME Section VIII, Division 1, with a National Board R stamp for repairs and alterations; 3-A Sanitary; UL-142; and CRN registration for tanks installed in Canada.
- We design to: API 620 and 650, ASME BPE, NFPA, and ANSI, where the project requires them.
Tell us which apply when you contact us.
DO YOU SERVICE TANKS YOU DID NOT BUILD?
Yes. Our field service team inspects, repairs, and installs components on stainless tanks from any manufacturer, anywhere in the U.S. Response time depends on where your plant is, and we’ll give you a date when you call. See Industrial Tank Repair and Field Service.
WHERE DO YOU SHIP?
Anywhere in the United States. Tanks too large to ship are field fabricated on your site.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME TO QUOTE?
The product, the volume, how the tank will be used, where it will sit, and any code requirements. Put what you know in our contact form and we’ll ask for the rest. Our article on what to gather before a tank project goes into more detail.
