Process and storage tank installation covers the rigging, setting, and mechanical tie-in of vertical and horizontal vessels — plain storage tanks, agitated mixing tanks, and jacketed reactors — into a production facility. The work includes moving and setting the vessel, installing agitators and mixers, connecting sanitary nozzles and fittings, and tying the tank into process and utility piping so it drains, cleans, and runs to spec. Paul Industries rigs, sets, pipes, and commissions process and storage tanks for pharmaceutical, biotech, cosmetic, and food & beverage facilities across the US East Coast, with more than 30 years of cGMP/FDA-compliant experience.
Request a Project Quote or call 201-450-8280
How tank installation works
A tank installation begins long before the vessel arrives. Paul Industries reviews the vessel drawings, foundation or platform loads, rigging path, and nozzle orientation so the tank lands in the right place, at the right elevation, with its inlets, outlets, and manways facing the equipment they connect to. On site, the vessel is offloaded, rigged, and set on its saddles, legs, or foundation — often through tight doorways, over existing equipment, or up through multiple floors — then leveled and anchored.
Once the tank is set, the mechanical work follows: mounting and aligning the agitator or mixer, connecting sanitary nozzles and tie-in spool pieces, tying the vessel into process and utility piping, and connecting the jacket to heating or cooling media where applicable. Because a process vessel has to be cleanable and drainable, we verify slope to the outlet, eliminate low points and dead legs at nozzles, and pressure- or leak-test the connections before insulation and cladding go on. The result is a vessel that is not just set in place but fully integrated into the process and ready to commission.
Storage vs. mixing vs. jacketed vessels
Most facilities run a mix of vessel types, and each carries different installation demands — a plain storage tank is largely a rigging-and-tie-in job, while an agitated or jacketed reactor adds mechanical, utility, and alignment work.
| Storage tank | Mixing / agitated tank | Jacketed / reactor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary role | Hold product or media | Blend, suspend, or dissolve | Heat/cool, react, or ferment |
| Agitator | None (typical) | Top- or side-entry mixer | Top-entry, often sealed |
| Wall | Single-wall | Single-wall or jacketed | Jacketed (dimple or half-pipe) |
| Utility tie-ins | Fill, drain, vent | Fill, drain, CIP, mixer drive | Above + jacket supply/return |
| Install complexity | Rig, set, tie-in | + mixer mount & alignment | + jacket & insulation work |
Our tank installation services
Paul Industries self-performs tank installation as a single-source scope, so one team is accountable from the vessel arriving on a truck to a piped, tested, and commissioned system:
- Rigging & setting — offloading, rigging through tight or multi-floor spaces, and setting vessels on foundations, saddles, or legs, then leveling and anchoring.
- Agitators & mixers — mounting, aligning, and connecting top- and side-entry agitators, including sealed mixers on reactors, and their drive utilities.
- Sanitary nozzles & tie-ins — fabricating and welding sanitary nozzle spools and tie-in spool pieces so the vessel connects cleanly to process piping.
- Process & utility piping — tying tanks into product, CIP, clean-steam, vent, and drain lines with orbital-welded, documented sanitary piping.
- Jacket connections — connecting dimple- or half-pipe jackets to heating and cooling media with proper supply, return, and controls.
- Insulation & cladding — insulating and cladding jacketed and temperature-controlled vessels for efficiency, safety, and a hygienic exterior.
- Testing & commissioning — slope and drainability checks, pressure/leak testing, and functional commissioning of the installed vessel.
Industries we serve
We rig, set, and tie in tanks for pharmaceutical and biotech drug manufacturing (formulation, media and buffer prep, and product hold), cosmetic and personal-care blending and batching, nutraceutical production, and food & beverage plants where 3-A sanitary design and drainability matter. Each application drives different agitator selection, surface finish, jacket duty, and documentation, and we tailor the installation accordingly.
Standards & compliance
- ASME BPE (Bioprocessing Equipment)
- Governs hygienic vessel and nozzle design, surface finish, drainability, and weld quality — the basis for a cleanable, drainable tank and its sanitary tie-ins.
- ASME Section VIII (Pressure Vessels)
- The boiler and pressure vessel code that governs the design and stamping of pressure-rated tanks, reactors, and jackets, so vessels operating under pressure or vacuum are safe and code-compliant.
- 3-A Sanitary Standards
- Sanitary design criteria widely applied in food, dairy, and beverage processing to ensure tanks, agitators, and fittings can be reliably cleaned.
- cGMP / 21 CFR 211
- FDA current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements that make an installed vessel a documented, cleanable, traceable part of the process rather than just a tank in a room.
Why Paul Industries
Setting a tank is the easy part — integrating it is where projects succeed or fail. Because Paul Industries self-performs the rigging, agitator installation, sanitary nozzle fabrication, piping tie-in, insulation, and commissioning, one team owns the vessel from the truck to a running system, with no gaps between the riggers who set it, the welders who tie it in, and the crew that commissions it. Our teams have delivered process-equipment and high-purity systems on the US East Coast for more than three decades, and every weld and connection is documented for cGMP traceability. Where public project references are limited by client confidentiality, we provide capability statements and weld and material documentation on request.
Frequently asked questions
Do you rig and set tanks, or only pipe them?
What is the difference between jacketed and single-wall tanks?
Do you install agitators and mixers?
Do you tie tanks into process piping?
Do you handle insulation and cladding?
Which states do you serve?
Get a tank installation quote
Tell us about your vessel, agitator, and tie-in requirements — a Paul Industries engineer will follow up to discuss rigging, scope, standards, and timeline.
Request a Project Quote or call 201-450-8280