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Top Loading (Chemical)
The majority of chemicals loaded globally are via the top of the tanker. The reasons are fairly simple. The tankers are effectively barrels on wheels. They have a hole in the top to fill it and a valve outlet at the bottom to drain it. They can be used on a variety of chemicals and only need cleaning to be fit for another service. If transport operators specialise their vehicles they reduce the potential clients who require that tanker and increase the cost of the vehicle. Until the chemical companies relieve the pressure on transport operators to provide cheapest costs, this will remain the situation for the majority of applications.
Top loading technology has improved over the last ten years. Reliability should never now be a concern as new production materials and seal compounds are employed. However, one issue dominates the upgrading of top loading facilities and that is the height of the tankers. Since the 1970’s tanker barrel heights have grown from an average of 3.4 metres to the current situation where they can be up to 4.2 metres. This poses many problems as existing loading racks, cannot provide safe access onto the tanker tops, using the existing access systems (stairs or ramp).
Furthermore, the need for the loading area on the tanker to be surrounded by a ‘fence’ – using the HSE/OSHA terminology – means that the arms cannot reach over the ‘fence’ and be inserted in the manhole. Loadtec can provide solutions to all these issues.