We serve a number of major industries at Cypress Metals, and one of the most prominent is a variety of company types that require metal storage bins, tanks or silos for storage needs. In many such cases, these industrial companies do not have the option of buying a prefabricated unit based on the sizing needs, meaning custom metal fabrication is one of the top options out there for bulk storage options.

Our custom metal designs include custom siding, fascia, laser cutting and several other potential applications. In this two-part blog, we’ll zero in on these metal storage requirements, detailing the common metals often used in fabrication for these items plus the factors you should be considering when deciding between these metal options.

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is a metal used for many fabrication formats, including for various custom storage needs. It’s often the metal of choice when storing things like grain, liquids, aggregates or even oxides.

Carbon steel tanks are valuable because the material allows for various liner types inside the tank. Epoxy, polyurethane or rubber are all potential liner materials that help limit leakage or corrosion risks, often allowing these tanks to last for many years longer than other types.

Generally speaking, low-grade carbon steel (also called mild steel) will be used for these tanks. This is because it’s malleable and reasonably affordable. Other steel grades may also be used for certain specific applications, however.

Stainless Steel

Within the liquid realm, particularly those such as liquid acid, water, fertilizer and even bulk oil shipments, stainless steel is the more common metal that’s fabricated to create storage tanks. It’s great due to its sterile qualities, which are vital for industries like food and beverage or others in the agricultural realm. Stainless steel tanks can store huge amounts of food products as well, often in higher-grade steel containers depending on the length of storage needed or other environmental factors.

Aluminum

If you’re looking for the lightest common option for metal storage tanks, aluminum is often the way to go. It’s known to be great for bulk storage bins, silos, and various tanks storing either liquid or plastic pellets.

Aluminum is desirable in part because it supplies insulation in an outer shell for carbon-steel tanks. In fact, these two materials are often used together for certain storage tanks, with carbon steel making up the interior and lining while aluminum comprises the outside sections. Aluminum comes with a great strength-to-weight ratio and is also affordable. It should be noted, however, that some aluminum-only tanks need to be externally treated to prevent corrosion risks and other forms of wear-and-tear.

For more on the kinds of metals that are often fabricated for use in bulk storage areas, or to learn about any of our metal fabrication services, speak to the staff at Cypress Metals today.