Plate rolling and dished ends
Flat plate becomes a shell here, and the ends that close it are formed here too. Roundness at the rolls decides whether the girth seam closes cleanly, which is why this is not an operation we hand to somebody else.
WHAT ROLLING DECIDES
A shell that is out of round does not announce itself until the girth seam will not close without force. Forcing it puts residual stress into the joint that no inspection report will show and the vessel keeps for life.
Every grade and thickness comes back differently off the rolls. This is why the first piece of a new job is set, checked and re-checked before a batch runs.
DISHED ENDS
A dished end carries pressure by its shape. Head form and plate thickness are chosen together with the working pressure, and swapping one for another late is a redesign rather than a substitution.
Where the end is formed from a single piece rather than fabricated from segments, a weld is removed from a high-stress region and the internal profile stays clean.
Frequently asked
- What diameters and plate thicknesses can you roll?
- Send the shell diameter, length, material and thickness and we will confirm it against our rolls. That costs you one email and saves redrawing a vessel around a figure nobody checked.
- Do you supply dished ends on their own?
- Ask. They are normally formed for vessels we go on to weld, but send the requirement and we will tell you whether we can supply them loose.
- Can you match an existing shell?
- Yes. Send the vessel, a drawing or a photograph. Working back from an existing part is routine here.
- Is the shell tested after welding?
- Yes. Vessels are leak and pressure tested in house and the result is recorded against the job number.
Send us the drawing and we will tell you the truth. Request a quote →