If you work in industry today, you’re constantly innovating. To compete in the global marketplace, you strive to update your products, processes, and technologies.
How about your process tank, mixing tank, and storage tank linings?
Does this question seem out of the blue? It’s not; tank and pipeline linings are critical for the efficiency and safety of your operations. Just as your technology changes rapidly, so do the requirements for managing and storing your industrial products.
Industrial producers of everything from chemicals to ethanol as well as those working in steel mills, power plants, corn syrup refineries, and metal surface finishing must ensure that they and their suppliers stay up to date with standards that change in response to regulatory updates, process changes, and improved technologies.
And ensuring the integrity of linings isn’t something that happens in isolation.
Improve tank lining integrity with a single source provider
Traditionally, tanks were manufactured by a fabricator then shipped to another provider for application of the appropriate lining. However, that multivendor approach can result in significant production delays and, more important, reduced integrity of tank linings.
Consider the standards that were updated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2015: ISO 16961:2015 doesn’t just cover the finished tank; it includes detailed directives for every step in the tank lining process.
- Prework requirements
- Coating and lining materials
- Surface preparation
- Coating and lining application
- Inspection and testing
- Documentation
Why the breakdown? Because when different providers perform the tank manufacturing, lining, and inspection steps, it’s much more difficult to ensure the integrity of the finished product.
Applying linings such as corrosion resistant rubber membranes may require specialized, high pressure vulcanization equipment. If surface preparation (such as sandblasting or weld finishing) isn’t correct, the lining may not adhere. Likewise, testing (before and after the lining is applied) must be accurate to ensure no breaches exist in the finished lining.
Single sourcing of a lined tank means one provider oversees the entire process, offering greater control, consistency, and accountability at every point. In addition, working with a single source tank fabricator yields other practical benefits.
- Shorter overall fabrication time
- Elimination of shipping (and the associated costs) between vendors
- One point of contact for project management
- One knowledgeable resource for ongoing field services and maintenance
Industrial producers must meet the highest standards for safety and integrity. When it’s time to add to or replace your process tanks, work with a single source provider that meets your standards.
