Tips on looking for a fabricator

I worked in a machine shop in Kansas City that did this sort of thing all the time. People walked in with all sorts of things. I'd call around and see who is interested in something like this. Ken

Start with the Yellow Pages. Go from there.

I used to work for an outfit that fabricated SS for all sorts of things. They had Trumpf CNC machinery. The laser alone was $700,000. CNC benders, punches, it was awesome. The stuff would come from CNC so precise we could do corner fusion welds on 16ga. They did take on little projects as a matter of conscience. The owner started out as a oilfield welder, then hit it big with custom fabrication. I guess he didn't forget his roots.

How big is this thing? Can you possibly buy a piece of used equipment and have it modified?

Steve

Are you perhaps an inventor? Why don't you know more precisely what you want to make? Fabrication is one thing, but you are asking for design mentoring, design services, handholding, and also fabrication. Most fabricators I know would pass on such a request simply because of the way you are phrasing it. You need a fabricator if you can fully specify the part you want, including a blueprint. Else you need - something else.

GWE

What Grant said.

When I did sales engineering for a high volume tubing fabricator, I took a series of calls from inventors with similar requests. I'd wish them well and send them on their way. If you didn't need a thousand units, have an accurate print, and have a suitable checkbook, I just couldn't deal with them.

One thing that I noticed immediately was the "100psi container". This tends to be non trivial if the container has any reasonable size to it.

The > snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

How large a volume will it contain? Above a certain size you may be subject to the ASME code for pressure vessels. If that's the case you might need a bit deeper pockets than you are expecting. The various valves and "whatnots" can complicate the design too. Make sure you plan for all of them up front - adding one or more after fabrication might well require a re-certification.

Possibly. I only need it to hold around 5.5 gallons. I suppose there might already be something like it.

something like this:

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With a pressure gage on the top somewhere and a valve at the bottom. Having the top open up for cleaning would be a bonus.

I suppose there might be such things around, but I haven't the foggiest on how to find 'em.

I know what I want it to do, but I don't know things like how thick the materials would need to be to hold 100psi, and so forth. That's where I'd need the help, so you're right, I'd need more than just the fabrication.

I just posted another response with more detail, if anyone is interested.

Yeah, that's where I'm concerned. Originally, I thought of playing with a household pressure cooker, but the problem is that I need that valve on the bottom for letting things out properly. I suppose I could modify a pressure cooker, but it would need to be a big one.

I suppose I'm probably over-engineering, too. It probably only really needs to hold 30-50psi, but I'm being conservative, I guess. It would really need a failsafe, too, now that I think about it...

I just got off the phone with a cow-orker. He says he has what I want, minus the pressure indicator and failsafe. Perhaps that's where I should start.

If this is to be food grade, the health people will INSIST (!) on being able to open it up for inspection, and cleaning. Probably a top plate with a mondo O-ring.

You know, I believe this would make an awesome pressurized chili and cheese dispenser for nachos. You'd have to have a microswitch on the gate to keep from getting too much goo @ 100 psi, though.

This is not a big job for a CNC manufacturer. The first one should come in at around $125k, and then taper off according to quantity.

Steve

Have you ever seen those huge soup pots in hotel kitchens. They will hold about 50 gallons. Mounted on a stand with a huge handle to tip the pot and pour? I would like to see where and how they are fabricated. And how much one costs. They have the heating elements inside the walls of the pot. All food grade SS.

BTW, what is the difference in number between food grade SS and dairy grade. IIRC, dairy is 304. (??)

Steve

Can it be made of pipe?

Yes, but that would not comply with NSF standards. Right?

Steve

Most of the soup pots I have seen like that are heated with steam. very nice way to make soup. real fast heatup time.

Doug

>

I've had good experience with these folks...

They'll be able to either supply your vessel complete or the components you'd need to have someone fabricate it. The toriconical heads are pretty close to what you've shown above. As a point of reference, I purchased two made to order SS heads about 2 years ago; 12" dia, 12ga T304, 180 grit polish, with several water jetted cutouts; $400 for the pair.

Don't ignore the warnings of others re the danger inherent in pressure vessels.

Ned Simmons

I'm no expert on pressure vessel design but would think that something completely made of indstry-standard pipe rated for the appropriate pressure would be OK. You should verify that with someone that is qualified if you are interested in pursuing it. It might be tricky to get all of the ports you want by using standard fittings.

A phone call to a company that specialises in fabricating small-scale equipment for R&D labs might be in order. If you are near the Chicago area, I might be able to suggest a couple of names.

Oops - NSF is probably some sort of food/sanitation standard or industrial body, right? That's even further outside my area of expertise, but I'd

*guess* that those standards would be related at least in part to material and method of fabrication. Tri-Clover makes off-the-shelf sanitary pipe/tubing with a variety of fittings but I suspect that they don't go nearly as large as you'd need in OD/ID for a 5-gal container unless you can stand a very long vessel.

Mike

"Mike Henry" wrote

NSF sets the rules as to EXACTLY what you an use that will come in contact with food that is to be sold to the public. You can do whatever you want at your house.

They even specify the stainless steel grades that can be used with certain food products, as dairy.

Now, if the OP is going to use this for himself, he can build it out of most anything. But, if it is for public consumption, he will run into a food inspector sooner or later.

Better sooner, before a lot is spent on R+D.

Steve

No he's looking for Bill & Hilliary