3M and Xperion have announced an agreement to develop a new line of 3M-branded compressed natural gas (CNG) tanks for use in the heavy-duty transportation industry.

The tanks will integrate 3M's Matrix Resin technology with Xperion's engineering and proprietary design technology. A new Xperion facility, currently being constructed in Heath, Ohio, will deliver production of these new tanks starting later this year.

3M and Xperion plan to continue to address the light-duty CNG segment as well, where 3M commercially introduced its first CNG tank early last year and Xperion introduced its X-STORE CNG tank in 2008.

The two companies will collaborate to provide similarly sized tanks in this space, now using the Xperion X-STORE cylinders. 3M and Xperion will work to incorporate 3M's proprietary nanoparticle resin into the design of X-STORE tanks. During the transition, customers can count on the best-in-class support and customer service they've come to expect.

3M's and Xperion's announcement follows another recent announcement regarding 3M's agreement with Rush Enterprises to provide enhanced CNG fuel systems, distribution and service support. Together, these companies now look to offer a complete back- and front-end CNG solution.