Capability

Process tanks & vats

Built for the duty, not the shelf

A process tank is defined by its chemistry, temperature and what has to happen inside it. Fabricating from sheet means each tank is made at the size the line requires, with ribbed external stiffening calculated for the load, and with weirs, baffles, bosses and flanged connections welded exactly where the process needs them — heater pockets, agitation spargers, overflow weirs, drain valves.

Material choice follows the duty: polypropylene for most acid and alkali work at elevated temperature, PVC for ambient duties, and polyethylene for bulk storage. Where a duty is beyond the commodity materials, talk to us about the specialist grades. See our materials guide for a fuller comparison.

Plating and electroplating tanks

Much of our tank work is for the surface-finishing trade: plating, anodising, pickling and passivation tanks with the details that trade needs — reinforced rims for anode bars and busbar loads, weir and cascade arrangements for rinse economy, guarded heater pockets, lip-extraction flanges, and drag-out and drip trays between stations. Single replacement tanks are measured from the old one and built to drop into the existing line position, connections and all.

Polypropylene tank fabrication

Most Beckox tanks are welded from polypropylene sheet — the natural beige material seen throughout our project photography. PP combines broad chemical resistance with the working temperatures process duties actually run at, and a butt-welded PP tank is a single homogeneous vessel with no lining, coating or joint sealant to fail. Where the duty is milder, PVC or polyethylene may be the more economical choice — and the same tank drawings can usually be built in either.

Electroplating tanks and process tank refurbishment

Electroplating tanks take a particular beating: hot acid or alkaline chemistry, current-carrying hardware bolted to the rim, and constant handling as work goes in and out. When one starts to weep, the usual question is refurbish or replace. Often it is refurbish — a cracked seam can be ground out and rewelded, a distorted rim reinforced, worn fittings replaced and a new lid or cover made, all without disturbing the rest of the line. Our tank repair and refurbishment page covers that work in full.

Lids, covers, weirs and spares

We also make the parts that go missing over a tank's life and are impossible to buy: made-to-measure lids and covers, weir plates, drip trays, splash guards, drain boxes and replacement fittings, fabricated to match tanks we did not build. Send a photograph and the critical dimensions, or we will come and measure.

Degreasing and pretreatment tanks

Hot alkaline degreasing, acid pickling and phosphating tanks are all thermoplastic duties, and they usually arrive as a set rather than singly — see pickling and pretreatment tanks for how we build those as a complete tank line with extraction.

• Open-top, closed and mobile tanks with ribbed stiffening
• Weirs, baffles, heater pockets and agitation fittings welded in
• Flanged, threaded and plain connections to suit your pipework
• Support stands, lids and covers in matching material
• One-off replacements measured from your existing tank

PAGE REVIEWED — 30 July 2026