Fuel Tank Manufacturing

Plastic fuel systems manufacturing, based on extrusion blow molding process, requires 5 major steps: Blow molding Cooling Finishing Assembly

Raw Materials Required

Plastic material commonly used for automotive plastic

fuel tank is a special grade of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) Advantage: Particularly suitable for the extrusion blow molding process, it confers to the tank a real advantage in terms of performance: ability to manufacture complex shapes to embark a maximum of useable fuel in tight space, excellent behaviour during crash, light weight and optimized cost for the function.

The principle of blow molding

A simple explanation of the principle of blow molding is similar to inflating a balloon

Introduction
There are several methods of blow molding plastic parts. They all have five stages in common :1. Plasticizing or melting the resin 2. Parison or preform production

3. Inflation of the parison or preform

4. Ejection of the part 5. Trimming and finishing of the part

Blow molding

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

 Finishing: Tank shell goes through a machining centre to

cut necessary openings and weld required components (such as valves, clips and sometimes filler pipe) onto the tank. Special finishing centres have been developed to optimize and robotize this part of the process. Assembly: Finished tank are being equipped with complementary components such as fuel delivery module, fuel lines or straps. Those complete Fuel Systems are then being delivered to vehicle assembly line, sometimes in sequence, to be mounted on the car.

Extrusion Blow Mold

1
2

1
1. 2 2. Cooling water ports Neck-ring insert

3.

Cut-off insert