Understanding The Need To Use The Correct Equipment For Tank Cleaning In Manufacturing Facilities

By Author: Jo Alelsto
Total Articles: 405
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Any industry, regardless of what it produces or manufactures, has a large tank in its grounds. Tanks are often utilized as storage chambers, but different companies have different uses for them. No matter what their purpose is, one thing is sure that all industries do with their tanks; they clean them once in a while. It sounds plain but it actually is not that simple. Large tanks are difficult to clean and one look at them can make you wonder how cleaning such a huge object becomes possible. Well, humans need technical assistance when doing the cleaning, as they can't clean these massive containers themselves.

Tanks need to be cleaned regularly due to many reasons. One of the obvious reasons is for maintenance purposes. Tanks need to be maintained to ensure they last long enough for their purpose to be utilized to the maximum. Poor equipment upkeep can lead to equipment failure that disrupts industrial operations. Manufacturers know that to avoid unwarranted cost of repair and equipment replacement, maintenance and cleaning of all industrial equipment should be done on a regular basis.

Another reason ...
... why tanks, whether storage or mixing tanks, should be cleaned is to make them suitable for the very purpose they were made. During instances of changing the type of product being stored or carried in the container, cleaning becomes a relevant aspect. Tank cleaning is also a necessary procedure prior to facility site inspections or maintenance checkups. Moreover, it is the ethical responsibility of the manufacturing plant to keep its facility and all the equipment in it in proper working order.

In the food and beverage industry, tank cleaning is even more appropriate due to greater demand for sanitation, for the safety of the consumers who get the end products.

However, in different areas, tank cleaning is of sheer importance that getting it done and getting it done appropriately are two different things. In chemical plants and petroleum industries, tank cleaning ensures that massive containers are suitable for carrying large volumes of substances or oil. Tanks utilized for storage of substances need to be totally cleaned to avoid contamination.

Thus, many companies invest on equipment for tank cleaning to better help them in doing the facility cleanup and upkeep. These companies, generally, rely on suppliers of tank cleaning machines and equipment for the appropriate cleaning instruments. Generally, human dexterity would be no match to the size of many industrial containers which are typically situated in areas quite difficult for humans to perform cleaning operations.

Automated tank cleaning equipment works like irrigation sprinkler. However, it uses hot water forced out through a jet nozzle which rotates to propel the machine. For occasional cleaning, there is available portable cleaning equipment and these are widely used by many manufacturers. On the other hand, tanks that need to be cleaned often can have fixed equipment installed in them.

Manufacturers of these pieces of tank cleaning equipment has taken much advantage on technology to come up with models that could clean a big tank, a hundred feet wide which are typically found in oil refineries and plants where tanks can be as big as two hundred feet (200 ft).

These cleaning machines are no simple tools, as they have built in devices to introduce cleaning agents or fluids at varying pressures, from slightly higher than atmospheric pressure to extremely high pressures, depending on the tank being cleaned. Different equipment can also deliver pressurized sprays or jets of cleaning solutions or rinsing water at different temperatures, from 35ºF to 200ºF.

Tank cleaning must only be done by a trained professional and cannot be done by any person even if they have the needed tools and equipment. Precautions are vital in cases of doing cleaning operations in tanks with toxic chemicals to avoid hazards.
Jo is an author and publisher for 'ICS (Industrial Services) Ltd' (http://www.icsindustrialservices.co.uk), a privately operated firm in UK that focuses in the distribution and assembly of heavy-duty spray nozzles and components. If you need to buy some rotary spray and rotary jet heads meant for your equipment for tank cleaning then take a look at ICS (Industrial Services) Ltd, the only UK supplier for Scanjet Systems.