Get a tailored quotation for pressure vessel heads, stainless spheres, or firepit bowls. Our engineers review your drawings, materials, standards, and quantities to provide accurate pricing and delivery options.
Get a tailored quotation for pressure vessel heads, stainless spheres, or firepit bowls. Our engineers review your drawings, materials, standards, and quantities to provide accurate pricing and delivery options.
Tank heads are used in industrial tanks, reactors, and pressure vessels. The right tank head can make or break how well your tank holds up to pressure, weight, and even chemical reactions.
I’m here to break down the different types of tank heads, and trust me, once you understand these, you’ll never look at a tank top the same way again.
If simplicity is your thing, look no further than the flat head. It’s about as basic as it gets: flat and functional.
The flat head is a classic choice for tanks that don’t need to deal with too much pressure. If you’ve got a low-pressure tank—think storage tanks or mild-duty containers—this is your go-to. It’s easy to manufacture, cost-effective, and gets the job done.
But, here’s the thing: it’s not built for a high-stress situation. If your tank’s going to be under constant heavy pressure, a flat head might not cut it.
Want something that can really handle the heat? Hemispherical heads are your heavy hitters. They like the bodybuilders of the tank world.
The hemisphere head is strong,it’s perfect for high-pressure situations. Boilers, reactors, and pressure vessels all love this head type. It’s built to take on the intense stuff without flinching.
Hemispherical heads are ideal when you need strength and durability in your tank design, especially when things are going to get a little… intense. If your tank is going to be dealing with gas, steam, or high-pressure fluids, this head has your back.
Maybe you want something in between—not too flat, not too crazy strong. Enter the elliptical head.
These heads strike a nice balance between cost and strength. They’re not as intense as hemispherical heads, but they still handle moderate pressure really well. If your tank needs to withstand some pressure but not the full brunt of a heavy-duty task, elliptical heads are your sweet spot.
You’ll see them a lot in storage tanks, steam vessels, and general-purpose pressure tanks. They’re strong, reliable, and won’t break the bank.
Let’s talk conical heads for a minute. They’re a bit of a tapering genius. They start wider and then narrow down to a point, almost like an upside-down funnel.
Conical heads are good for situations where you need the material to flow downward or you’re dealing with gravity-fed tanks. They’re great for things like storage silos, hoppers, and tanks that need a little extra space at the top but require pressure tolerance.
It’s good chooice to store solids or liquids and need the contents to flow down to the bottom of the tank.
If you want the best of both worlds, meet the torispherical head.
This is a hybrid between a hemispherical and elliptical head. The shape is part hemisphere, part flattened dome. The result? A head that offers good pressure resistance without going full-on “beefcake” like the hemispherical type.
Torispherical heads are perfect for medium to high-pressure applications. They’re used in pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and other tanks where you need a little extra strength without the cost of a full hemispherical head.
If you need a head that’s versatile, cost-effective, and works in a variety of situations, torispherical is a solid pick.
Sometimes you just need something reliable, and F&D heads are the definition of reliability. This type combines a flanged edge (that allows it to connect easily to the rest of the tank) with a dished center (which gives it some nice strength).
F&D heads are used in everything from storage tanks to chemical reactors. They’re strong enough for most pressures and flexible enough to handle a variety of tank sizes and applications. It’s an all-around great option when you’re not entirely sure what you need but want something that works in most situations.
So, you’re looking to choose the right tank head for your project. The decision really comes down to pressure and purpose.
