Alutech - Military Vehicle Aluminium Fuel Tanks and Air Pressure Tanks, Aluminium Components and Upgrades

Alutech, a company of the Salzburger Aluminium Group, is Europe's leading supplier of fuel tanks and air pressure tanks in aluminium for heavy trucks. Based on this long experience in the commercial and special vehicles market, Alutech has successfully started serving the military sector with its high-quality aluminium products.

Rheinmetall Land Systems, Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann, General Dynamics, SP-Aerospace, MAN, Mowag, General Dynamics and Patria all rely on Alutech's high-quality aluminium products. Annual quantities reached their peak with around 300,000 fuel and hydraulic tanks, 200,000 aluminium air pressure tanks for trucks from companies such as DaimlerChrysler, Iveco, MAN, DAF, Scania, Volvo, Renault VI, Isuzu, Hino, and so on.

ALUMINIUM USE IN MILITARY VEHICLES

Increasingly, military vehicles require reliable, mobile, flexible and lightweight solutions, combined with low trough-life operating costs. Aluminium is a reliable, lightweight material for flexible use - the perfect solution.

The use of intelligent aluminium solutions allows 50% to 70% weight savings in comparison with the use of parts made in steel. Less weight makes a positive impact on the mobility and flexibility of the military vehicle. The advantages of a lighter vehicle are obvious: Less fuel consumption, faster and more flexible operational mobility in the military environment and the possibility of a greater payload for sophisticated equipment or crew; and a larger payload for vehicle-transporting aircraft.

Although military equipment is designed for warfare, active military operation is not the rule. During both peacetime and war, the vehicle must be fit for use at any time. Reliability is, therefore, vital. Actual surveys and the daily experience in the military field show that vehicles that are five or more years old do not perform like they should. A tiny piece of rust in the fuel or air brake system can stop the vehicle before it even gets started. Aluminium, however, is reliable and does not corrode, a crucial advantage in comparison with other materials. Furthermore, the lack of corrosion results in less service and maintenance requirements and, therefore, lower lifetime costs. This has forced owners of military tanks or special purpose vehicles to substitute steel fuel tanks, hydraulic tanks and air pressure vessels with aluminium ones.

ALUMINIUM FUEL TANKS

Alutech creates fuel, hydraulic and urea tanks as single or combi-tank solutions with up to three chambers for commercial vehicles based on individual specifications. Companies such as DAF, IVECO, MAN, Scania, Volvo/RVI and many others swear by the high processing quality of these aluminium fuel tanks. Alutech provide:

• Variations of aluminium, fuel tanks based on standard cross sections
• Aluminium fuel tanks pre-assembled including supports and bands
• Tailor made constructions to costumers specifications
• Step tanks
• Aluminium tanks with space optimized steps
• Combi tank - tank with fuel and oil chamber and attachments according to customer specifications (standard and special cross sections)
• Design and production of special attachment elements for the truck body

ALUMINIUM AIR PRESSURE TANKS

Corrosion-resistance and lightweight of the aluminium characterise the aluminium air pressure tanks manufactured for trucks as per EN 286-2. Large-scale series design and production in cooperation with big truck manufacturers, e.g. Daimler Chrysler, IVECO and MAN has given us the expertise for the design and production of aluminium air pressure tank packages ready for assembly.

ALUMINIUM IN MILITARY VEHICLE UPGRADES

The actual requirements of military vehicles and equipment are becoming more and more sophisticated. Changes in vehicle design in order to improve ballistic protection and operating mobility let engineers be very creative and efficient, an aluminium fuel tank project for example in the Tank Destroyer vehicle upgrade.

The project goal was the integration of additional ballistic protection and more efficient operational equipment. The challenges faced included the redesign of crew space, redesign of integrated fuel tanks and fuel tank mounting system because of the ballistic protection system. The latest military projects have shown that Alutech is able to match these requirements perfectly.