Method of manufacturing a plastic tank with reinforcements

1. A method for producing a plastic tank having reinforcements, the method comprising:

providing a semi-finished panel composed of plastic to form at least one part of the tank wall of the plastic tank, the semi-finished panel having at least one outer layer composed of a first thermoplastic;

providing at least one fibre-reinforced structural component, having an overall area that is less than an overall area of the semi-finished panel, as a reinforcement for the tank wall in a manner such that the fibre-reinforced structural component forms a patch, the fibre-reinforced structural component comprising a matrix composed of a second thermoplastic that is weldable to the first thermoplastic;

applying the at least one fibre-reinforced structural component to a predefined region of an outer layer of the semi-finished panel;

fusing the at least one fibre-reinforced structural component with the outer layer of the semi-finished panel during a heating of the semi-finished panel caused by passing the semi-finished panel with the applied fibre-reinforced structural component through a continuous furnace;

forming the heated semi-finished panel with the fibre-reinforced structural component fused therewith, into a final shape of at least one part of the tank wall; and

connecting the at least one part of the tank wall to at least one other part of the tank wall to form a complete tank wall of the plastic tank.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first thermoplastic comprises one or more of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide (PA), and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second thermoplastic comprises one or more of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide (PA), and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second thermoplastic comprises one or more of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide (PA), and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the reinforcement comprises, in sequence:

laying the at least one fibre-reinforced structural component on a conveyor belt,

laying the semi-finished panel on the at least one fibre-reinforced structural component, and

laying at least one additional fibre-reinforced structural component on the semi-finished panel.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each laying is performed via a positioning device.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein fusing the fibre-reinforced structural component comprises moving the semi-finished panel along the conveyor belt through a continuous furnace.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fusing of the fibre-reinforced structural component to the semi-finished panel occurs on the conveyor belt.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the fused is conducted by deep drawing.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the forming and after the fusing, heating the predefined region of the semi-finished panel.

11. A method for producing a plastic tank, the method comprising:

laying a first fibre-reinforced structural component on a conveyor belt as a first fibre-reinforced patch for an inner wall of the plastic tank;

laying the semi-finished panel on the first fibre-reinforced structural component;

laying a second fibre-reinforced structural component on the semi-finished panel as a second fibre-reinforced patch for an outer wall of the plastic tank;

fusing the first fibre-reinforced patch and the second fibre-reinforced patch with the semi-finished panel during a heating of the semi-finished panel caused by moving the semi-finished panel with the applied first fibre-reinforced patch and the applied second fibre-reinforced patch through a continuous furnace;

forming, after fusing the first fibre-reinforced patch and the second fibre-reinforced patch with the outer layer of the semi-finished panel, the semi-finished panel into a final shape of at least one part of the tank wall; and

connecting the at least one part of the tank wall to at least one other part of the tank wall to form a complete tank wall of the plastic tank.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the first thermoplastic comprises one or more of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide (PA), and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE); and/or

the second thermoplastic comprises one or more of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyamide (PA), and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the reinforcements comprises, in sequence:

laying the fibre-reinforced structural components on a conveyor belt,

laying the semi-finished panel on the fibre-reinforced structural components, and

laying at least one additional ones of the fibre-reinforced structural components on the semi-finished panel.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein each laying is performed via a positioning device.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein forming the fused fibre-reinforcement structural components and semi-finished panel is conducted by deep drawing.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, before the forming and after the fusing, heating the predefined regions of the semi-finished panel.

17. A method for producing a plastic tank, the method comprising:

applying, as reinforcements for a tank wall of the plastic tank, a first fibre-reinforced patch and a second fibre-reinforced patch to predefined regions of an outer layer of a semi-finished panel which is composed of plastic and forms at least one part of a tank wall of the plastic tank, wherein the outer layer is composed of a first thermoplastic and the first fibre-reinforced patch is arranged inside the tank wall and the second fibre-reinforced patch is arranged outside the tank wall;

causing a fusing of the first fibre-reinforced patch and the second fibre-reinforced patch with the outer layer of the semi-finished panel by heating the semi-finished panel when moving the semi-finished panel with the applied one or more fibre-reinforced patches through a continuous furnace;

forming, by deep drawing after fusing the first fibre-reinforced patch and the second fibre-reinforced patch with the outer layer of the semi-finished panel, the semi-finished panel into a final shape of at least one part of the tank wall; and

connecting the at least one part of the tank wall to at least one other part of the tank wall to form a complete tank wall of the plastic tank.