Corilla Plastics have been responsible for the testing of rotationally moulded plastic Fuel Tanks, in accordance with ECE Regulations 34, Annex 5, for more than 30 years. Extensive experience gained over this period has culminated in offering full Project Management support to achieve approval of the Regulation.

Customers that have benefited from this service and support are: -

More recently, we have tested a total of four derivatives of vehicles, all fitted with rotationally moulded Plastic Fuel Tanks, for LDV. The award winning Maxus vehicle, also the Flat Bed version, was successfully tested with various specification of tanks.

The principal aspects of the ECE testing include the following: -

1. Impact Resistance at – 40 degrees C
2. Mechanical Strength at + 53 degrees C at 0.3 bar pressure
3. Fuel Permeability at + 40 degrees C for up to 12 weeks
4. Resistance to Fuel after Permeability test. The tank must conform to both Impact Resistance and Mechanical tests
5. Resistance to Fire for 120 seconds on 3 different tanks
6. Resistance to High Temperature filled to 50 per cent capacity for 60 minutes at 95 degrees C

 

The rotomoulded fuel tank is also subjected to a Roll Over Test and Hydraulic Test in accordance with Addendum 33 Revision 1. 

The rotationally moulded polyethylene used has proved to be tough and resilient and is suitable for manufacture of parts with far less demanding applications.

From little acorns

A little while ago, in fact back in the 1970’s, Corilla Plastics was then called Flex Tank before it became part of the Corilla Group. It was in this era that we became involved in assisting a budding inventor.

This young chap came to us for advice on how to develop one of his earliest inventions, the Ballbarrow – a wheelbarrow that consisted of a pneumatic ball as the wheel and a rigid plastic shell body, both fitted to a steel tubular frame.

Later, a rotomoulded plastic extension body was introduced to increase the capacity of the body for the collection of fallen leaves.

The company played an integral part in helping to develop this product, providing inside knowledge on the rotational moulding process required to put the Ballbarrow into production. It was this knowledge of rotomoulding that this budding entrepreneur went on to use to create his own manufacturing plant to develop his highly successful product – the Dyson.

James Dyson cut his teeth with us and we are pleased and proud to have played such an important role in helping him to make his inventions highly marketable products.

Corilla were approached by a client to develop a new oil separator through rotational moulding in order to separate oil from water when it is washed into drains.

The final production run was going to be small which is ideally suited to rotational moulding, however, Corilla still needed to find a low cost solution to the problem.

This required specification of the product/tool design as well as the manufacturing materials, to ensure the end product met the exact needs of the client.

The separator tank tool was rotationally moulded in modular sections for additional flexibility so that three different capacity tools could be made by interlocking modular sections together. This effectively delivered cost savings by allowing three different size products to be manufactured from just the one tool.

The material chosen for the rotomoulding process was High Density Polyethylene, which provides rigidity and creek resistance and 50% recycled Polyethylene for production of the Tank Bypass and Extension shaft.

The client was delighted with the sample products which created a lot of interest when exhibited at the Civils Exhibition at Earl’s Court just 10 weeks after the initial product development meeting.

One of our clients provides a wide range of disability aids to retailers, including numerous sanichairs.

They approached Corilla to assist in production of their bariatric version, which needed to be heavy duty to carry heavier users.

Corilla developed the seat for this chair, manufactured in rotationally moulded polyethylene with an anti-microbial agent added to prevent MRSA growth.

Wtihin 6 weeks, the project transformed from concepts to production of the first samples. The perfect example of rotational moulding at work.

Corilla worked with a manufacturer of refuse collection trucks who design and manufacture these vehicles to meet the changing needs of refuse collection to include recycling.

Corilla were approached to produce a new Air Stack for their latest release of new refuse collection vehicles.

First of all, Corilla designed and made up a full size timber model to confirm fit-up clearance on the vehicle cab. The model was produced 4% oversize for tooling purposes and then used to create patterns for the tooling process.

Once the model was in place, the client made a late design change to make a vital improvement. The model was modified to accommodate the change quickly and with little impact on overall cost.

The mould was manufactured using a sand casting process and the product itself was produced using rotational moulding.

We have recently roto-moulded side pods for the side of Go-Karts, using a semi soft material to absorb shock. These pods make the driver less vulnerable to side impact between the front and the rear wheel, an important safety feature for added driver protection.

Rotational moulding was the ideal option to produce this item in one single part, without the high tooling costs associated with blow moulding. It also gave the client a choice of different colours for their product, a feature that was important to the design.

This was our brief, to house emergency telephone landline phones in positions outdoors, on oil rigs, camp sites,by the side of roads and other such positions. The overriding requirement here was the box had to be weather proof, to withstand inhospitable conditions to ensure reliability in an emergency.

Rotomoulding proved an effective manufacturing process to ensure consistent tolerances in the grade of material used to guarantee quality of production. Corilla added a rubber seal around the door and cabinet too, to ensure no rain could seep in.

Bright colours were chosen to give the box high visibility, another standard feature of the rotational moulding process.

Our client required a robust ducting unit to be fitted to commercial vehicles for the construction industry. They had to be strong to withstand the impact of falling debris, and the inhospitable environment they would be working in.

Rotomoulding provided the ideal solution, to provide a strong purpose built air conditioning duct to vent the air from the inside out. This product was manufactured in a short lead time, with low tooling costs, a distinct advantage of the rotational moulding process.

Any fuel tank needs to be fireproof and withstand the impact of a crash. Corilla specified a specific grade of material to be used that would pass fire tests, and pressure tests.

The fuel tank also needed to be leak tested to ensure its long term integrity. Corilla used its pressure decay test to ensure the tank was 100% leak free.

The overall result was a robust, controlled manufacturing process using rotational moulding to guarantee the tank was 100% fit for purpose.

In the automotive industry where manufacture is a rolling process, workers need access to their tools from a kit box that can be rolled along in a similar way. Corilla were approached to develop this product so that it held a specific number of components. Size was critical as this box was a non-standard shape.

The box was designed to meet these tight specifications, and to ensure the interior was easy to clean, so there could not be any nooks and crannies in the bottom.

The overall result was a rotationally moulded box that housed its components in an ordered fashion for ease of retrieval, with an readily accessible interior that was easily kept clean.

Corilla Source large tooling partner for significant construction project.

There are some projects that require tooling on a grand scale, and a recent project for an existing client seeking improvements to their product range, including increasing the sizes available, proved a challenge for Corilla on a new scale.

The client wanted to introduce a new range of drainage channels into the construction market, both in the UK and abroad.

Our expert product manager, Shaun Champion, escorted our client to visit several potential tooling partners in Europe to assess their suitability.

Eventually, an Italian tooling specialist company was chosen, based on its competitiveness in terms of price and lead time. It will produce a suite of tools from which a range of product sizes will be manufactured.

The practice of moving personnel from oil and gas rigs can be precarious, especially in inhospitable weather. Corilla has manufactured a series of mouldings for the Frog 9 pod – a safer alternative to the traditional rope basket

The pod can transport between 6 and 8 personnel at a time, saving helicopter winching time whilst offering better protection to all on board.

The moulded components are roto moulded using a combination of foam filled and non-foamed filled products – giving strength and durability where it is needed.

Rotational moulding is the most appropriate manufacturing process for the relatively low production run required, whilst enabling the product to be easily produced in the desired colour of yellow for high visibility.

You can imagine that any product used in the construction of swimming pools needs to have strength and durability at its core.

Corilla is roto moulding swimming pool supports using foam filled components to ensure these crucial criteria are met.

This project requires a large moulding for a relatively low volume production run, ideal for the rotational moulding process. Corilla are delivering short lead times for a quick turnaround – a service that is invaluable when getting product to market quickly.

Corilla is pleased to once again be working for GKN Aerospace. This time, the challenge was to produce a robust fuel tank for their Terrier Vehicle. These vehicles are used in combat situations so need to be completely reliable and offer complete durabilty in inhospitable environments.

Corilla specified the use of nylon instead of polyethylene for the fuel tank to ensure strength and durability were built into its core.

Rotational moulding offered the ideal production method for these low volume production runs and allowed for the use of this alternative, preferable material.

Despite working in the main for the marine, construction and automotive industries, there are occasions when Corilla is approached to produce more domestic products.

We are working on a new children’s fire engine right now, to be sold through independent retailers in the UK. Our client was keen to source a UK manufacturer, so that the ‘British Made’ element of the product became one of its USP’s.

We are happy to help with this project and in early 2011 we should see the first of many rotationally moulded fire engines rolling out of our factory in Bridgend.

The next generation of Caterpillar vehicles will be equipped with a permanently affixed storage box, roto moulded here at Corilla.

This item required technical input at design stage, including consultation on the fit of the lid and its hinge mechanism, to ensure ease of use in the field.

Caterpillar vehicles have to be equipped with highly durable components to withstand the harsh environments where they work. The rotational moulding process allows the use of robust materials for additional strength and durability.

We were able to offer low tooling costs, short lead times and competitive pricing for this medium volume run product and we are delighted to be assisting this prestigious client develop their next generation of Caterpillar vehicles.