FLEXIBLE FUEL TANK

Rigid fuel tanks have their place, and it’s the used most fuel storage solution in the world. For standard applications with standard space and ordinary performance requirements, they are a good solution. But what happens when your project pushes beyond the ordinary? When your design limited by weight, challenged by a specific shape, or operating in an environment which requests quick reponse?

This is where the limitations of mass-produced tanks become apparent, and the need for a tailored engineering solution emerges. A custom flexible fuel tank isn’t strange; it’s a necessary strategic upgrade that unlocks performance, reliability, and capability. If you recognize any of the following five signs, it’s time to think beyond the catalog.

The Problem:

Your design has an awkward, unused void—the narrow cavity alongside a truck’s frame rail, the complex curvature of a boat’s bilge, or the slender space within an aircraft wing. A standard rectangular or cylindrical tank simply won’t fit, leaving valuable capacity on the table and forcing a compromised design.

The Consequence:

Settling for a smaller, ill-fitting tank wastes potential loading range and creates a host of secondary leakage and swing issues. A tank that doesn’t perfectly conform to its allocated space can shift and abrade during operation, leading to premature wear and potential failure. It’s better to design around the tank, based on the shape of the space, rather than having the tank work for your design.

The Custom Solution:

A custom flexible fuel tank is engineered for envelope-specific design. We create a tank that conforms precisely to your available volume, utilizing nearly 100% of the space. This approach maximizes volumetric efficiency, turning wasted voids into functional fuel capacity while ensuring a secure, immobile fit that eliminates chafing and movement.

The Problem:

In aviation, motorsports, and high-performance marine applications, every ounce matters. You are critically aware that adding a single pound of unnecessary weight directly compromises payload, agility, and fuel efficiency. A heavy, rigid tank represents “dead weight” that actively works against your performance goals.

The Consequence:

Choosing a standard metal or thick plastic tank can add significant, unnecessary mass. This reduces your vehicle’s power-to-weight ratio, shortens its operational range, and diminishes overall performance. In competitive environments, this weight penalty is the difference between leading the pack and falling behind.

The Custom Solution:

Flexible fuel tanks, constructed from high-strength, coated fabrics like TPU and nylon, offer an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio. By opting for a custom solution, you gain precisely the fuel capacity you need without the severe weight penalty of rigid alternatives. This translates directly to extended range, higher speeds, and greater payload capacity.

The Problem:

Your equipment operates in a uncommon environment. This could be the relentless vibration of an off-road vehicle, the impact potential in a race car chassis, or the constant exposure to corrosive saltwater in a marine setting. Standard tanks are not always designed to withstand these extremes.

The Consequence:

Metal tanks are susceptible to fatigue cracking from constant vibration and can corrode over time, contaminating fuel and compromising structural integrity. Rigid plastic tanks can become brittle and crack under impact. These failures are not just inconvenient; they are serious safety hazards.

The Custom Solution:

The inherent flexibility of a custom fuel tank is its greatest asset in harsh conditions. It absorbs vibration and resists impact without permanent deformation, acting as a durable, resilient fuel cell. Furthermore, with no metal parts to rust and polymer materials immune to electrolytic corrosion, these tanks offer a significant durability and safety upgrade for the most demanding applications.

The Problem:

Your fuel system is complex. It requires specific, non-standard inlet and outlet ports, multiple fuel tie down points for different attitudes, integrated baffling liners to control slosh in a particular axis, or seamless integration with a custom fuel management system. An off-the-shelf tank with generic fittings won’t suffice.

The Consequence:

You’re forced to find a solution to meet different purposes, but how to make multiple purposes in one tank. Every adapter is a potential failure point—a leak, a vapor lock, or a restriction in flow. This approach looks unprofessional and introduces unnecessary risk and complexity into a critical system.

The Custom Solution:

With a custom tank, we design the system around your needs. We embed the exact fittings you require—whether JIC, AN, NPT, or BSPP—directly into the tank. We can incorporate anti-vortex pickups, design internal baffle patterns for specific slosh mitigation, and create dedicated ports for sending units and vents. The result is a clean, integrated, and highly reliable system.

The Problem:

Sometimes, the challenge is simply uniqueness. You’re restoring a vintage aircraft where fuel bladders are no longer manufactured. You’re designing a portable fuel supply for a remote military outpost or a long-endurance drone. You need a fuel cell for a one-off prototype vehicle. No mass-market product exists for your specific challenge.

The Consequence:

Without a rigid tank option, project timelines stretch, costs balloon from trying to modify existing solutions, and compromises threaten the core functionality of your design.

The Custom Solution:

This is where custom manufacturing shines. We specialize in solving the “impossible” problems. If your fuel storage challenge is unique, your solution should be too. We partner with you to bring your vision to life, providing a purpose-built tank that meets the exact demands of your singular application.

The idea of a “custom” solution can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve streamlined the process to be collaborative and straightforward:

Consultation & Discovery: It starts with a conversation. We work with you to understand your spatial constraints, performance requirements, fuel type, and environmental challenges.

Design & Material Selection: Our engineering team creates a design tailored to your envelope and specifies the ideal material—be it TPU for superior fuel resistance and flexibility or a specialized coating for chemical compatibility.

Prototyping & Production: We move from design to a finished product, building a tank that fits perfectly and performs flawlessly from the first installation.