Operations Manual - Flexitanks

TECHNICAL AND QUALITY DEPARTMENT SIA Flexitanks Ltd

5 Carndonagh Business Park Station Road, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, Ireland

Tel: +353 749334572 | Fax: +353 749329436 | www.siaflexitanks.com

Operations Manual Bottom Load/Discharge Flexitanks

Procedures

Committed to customer service and quality operations.

Revision Date: February 2013

CONTENTS

Compatibility Testing Procedure Procedure 1

Container Selection Procedure 2

Container Preparation Procedure 3

Lining the Container Procedure 4

Flexitank Installation Procedure 5

Bulkhead Installation Procedure 6

Loading a Flexitank Procedure 7

Discharge Procedure Procedure 8

Disposal considerations Procedure 9




Procedure 1 Flexitank Material Compatibility Testing Procedure. To ensure the correct flexitank material is used for the intended product, the following procedures will apply. Only free flowing non-hazardous bulk liquid products can be carried in flexitanks supplied or operated by SIA Flexitanks Ltd.

1. Specify the generic and trade name of product.

2. Provide the technical data sheet for the product where possible.

3. Provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the product. Note: should the MSDS show the product to be hazardous, then it is to be rejected immediately.

4. The MSDS will be examined for approval. If required, the MSDS will be sent to the material manufacturer for analysis.

Note: If the product is known by the material manufacturer, a decision can be made at this point if it is compatible with the material, previous testing may have already been conducted.

5. If the intended product is unknown by the material manufacturer, a one litre sample will be required to be sent for further testing.

6. Compatibility records and communication with the material manufacturer will be maintained for

future record.

7. The following compatibility testing will be required. a) Reactivity of product to flexitank material b) Accelerated heat and cold reaction c) UV Penetration d) Oxygen and moisture penetration e) Life expectancy testing. f) Valve material compatibility

8. Testing will be conducted for a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of 60 days.

9. Following completion of testing or confirmation of material/product compatibility, a written approval

or denial will be issued.




Procedure 2 Container Selection Procedure The specification and condition of the container is very important when completing a successful Flexitank transportation and it should conform to the following criteria. 1. 1. Containers must be maximum gross weight of 30 ton (67,000 lbs) rated - check rating on door.

Container must have:

a) Fully Corrugated CORTEN steel sides and nose end. (Label panels not acceptable) b) Vertical recess in door pillars to accept bulkhead sliding bars.




Container Selection The following criterion applies when accepting a container that is to be used in a Flexitank shipment.

1. Ensure the container complies with the specification as per ‘a’ & ‘b’ above.

2. Check all previous damage repairs. Excessive side or nose end repairs will render the container unusable.

3. Check all door locking mechanisms are in good working condition. Each door should have two (2) locking bars.

4. Ensure there is no un-repaired damage to the container and that it is "wind and water tight". To do this, step inside the container and close the door and see if any daylight is visible. The container should be rejected if there are any inward or outward dents in the walls.

5. Check that the floor is clean, dry, and free from debris and there is no odor

6. All 20' ISO dry freight containers shall be 5 years of age or less - Check data plate.

Containers should be rejected if:

1. There is excessive side wall repair that could weaken the container. 2. There are sharp welds on repairs that could damage the flexitank. 3. There is floor damage, holes, broken cross beams or sharp objects that cannot be removed. 4. There are any bolts or sharp objects protruding from the doors. 5. The door latches are broken or bent. 6. The container is in a general state of disrepair. 7. If the gross weight load capacity is less than 28000kgs.




Procedure 3 Container Preparation Procedure. Tools required: Sweeping Broom, Claw Hammer, Crow Bar, Utility Knife, Bolt Cutter or Reciprocating saw. The installation of a Flexitank is not a difficult task. However, it is an operation that requires care, attention and caution to prevent damage to the Flexitank. Please take note of the following:

Never have any sharp or pointed objects around a flexitank. Never drag a flexitank or move it unprotected. Ensure that during installation, good use of tape and cardboard is made to protect the

Flexitank from any potential sharp edges.

Inspect and sweep out the container. Inspection of the container is very important and should be extremely thorough. Important things to look out for are nails, holes and weld or jagged edges on the floor or walls. If there are areas that look damaged or may cause potential problems, place tape and or cardboard over the area accordingly. Most important is that the container should be free from all debris, remove all nails, staples and sharp objects. Always sweep the floor of the container.




Procedure 4 Lining the container Line the walls and floor of the container with corrugated cardboard. Prior to cardboard installation, all internal vertical welds in the container should be covered with duct tape. Corner welds should be double taped. The cardboard used should be ‘B flute’ type with a minimum height of 1.5 meters. Check to ensure the container meets the SIA Specification as per Procedure 2. Any areas that are suspect or have potential abrasion points should be padded with additional cardboard prior to commencing this procedure.

Place a rolled up piece of 6ft cardboard into each of the corner recesses in the nose section of the container, as shown above.




Line the side walls & nose end of the container with lining material (in this case polypropylene). Careful not to cover the recess into which the bulkhead bars will be placed. The liner should be fitted loosely around the container walls. Use strong tape to secure the liner in place.

Cover the floor of the container with two lengths of lining, overlapping up the sides and the middle as shown.




Procedure 5 Flexitank Installation. Check flexitank carton for crush and penetration damage. If any damage is observed, the flexitank should not be used - Report damage to SIA Flexitanks Ltd immediately. When the Flexitank is removed from its box, make a visual inspection for any signs of damage. If any damage is observed, the Flexitank should be replaced and SIA Technical & Quality department should be notified immediately.

Bulkhead Materials & Specifications

1 x Adjustable 50mm bar (bottom). 4 x Straight 50mm bars.

1 x plastic or cardboard sheet with ‘square’ shape cut out (2330mm x 1220mm x 10mm).

1 x Polystyrene/polyurethane Door Shim – 2lb density (100mm x 100mm x 1220mm).




Remove the flexitank from the cardboard box and protective wrapping and place it in position on the right hand side of the container floor, as shown above.

Carefully unroll the flexitank so it is evenly placed and symmetrical inside the container, as shown above. As the flexitank is being unrolled, it should be carefully inspected for any scuffs, holes or any other signs of damage. Care should be taken not to walk on the flexitank whilst wearing shoes. Push longitudinal folds out to walls ensure that excess flaps are equal in size. The unique feature of the SIA ‘Global Tank’ is that it comes pre-folded to the exact dimensions of the container, so it is extremely easy to fit.




Each flexitank has a bottom discharge 3” valve, with a plastic backing plate assembly, as shown below.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE INSIDE OF THE BULKHEAD IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH CARDBOARD AND OVERLAPPED ONTO THE WALLS OF THE CONTAINER AS SHOWN ABOVE

The valve/backing plate assembly fits onto the metal bar bulkhead and is secured with the cable/zip

ties, which are provided.




Procedure 6 Bulkhead Installation Procedure.

The bulkhead assembly will consist of a two bar structure at the bottom + three floating bars above.

Space the bars out evenly to just below the height of the correx sheet. Use cardboard or polypropylene tubular spacers, situated within the recess at the container door and

tape into position.




PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE INSIDE OF THE BULKHEAD IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH CARDBOARD AND OVERLAPPED ONTO THE WALLS OF THE CONTAINER AS SHOWN BELOW

Fit the polystyrene/polyurethane shim into position behind the edge of the left hand door as shown above.

Close the left hand side door. Once the door is closed it should not be opened until the flexitank is totally discharged.




Place the warning sticker on the left hand side door at eye level (when standing on the ground) and warning tag (Do Not Open) on the left hand side door latch using the supplied plastic cable tie.




Procedure 7 Flexitank loading procedure. To ensure a safe and correct load, some simple precautions should be taken. The left hand door should remain closed at all times.

1. Prior to loading check inside the container to make sure the flexitank remains in the proper position as outlined in procedure 5.

Connect the loading hose to the valve and open the valve by turning the handle. Note: It is always good practice to purge the loading line of any excess air prior to connection to the flexitank. This will ensure that air is not blown into the flexitank ahead of the product.

Keep checking the Flexitank during loading on a regular basis, to ensure the Flexitank is loading in a correct manner.

SIA can accept no responsibility for the consequences of unsafe or unsupervised loadings.




2. After loading has been completed, switch off the pump & close all valves (including the flexitank valve). Bleed the product from the line back into product tank, or into bunded drain area by slowly opening one arm of the cam lock to get air into the hose to get it started. Screw the dust cap back onto the flexitank valve when all hose connections have been removed

3. Close & lock the right hand door of the container & apply the appropriate seals. Ensure the warning label & red tag warning are in place on the left door, and assure all locking bars are engaged – top & bottom for transport.

SIA can accept no responsibility for the consequences of unsafe or illegal loading.




Technical Assistance

For extra peace of mind SIA technical personnel can attend first time loadings and discharges. Regular follow up site visits are scheduled as part of our Preventative Maintenance Programme. Loading parameters: The maximum/minimum allowable load in any SIA Global Tank is: + /- 5% of rated capacity. Loading rate: The Maximum advised loading rate for the SIA Global Tank is: 48,000 Litres per Hour or 800 Litres/ 210 gallons / per minute.




Procedure 8 Flexitank unloading procedure.

POSITIONING THE CONTAINER The container should be positioned as close as possible to the receiving storage tank. Position the container, so that there is a gentle slope from the front to the rear. Alternatively, the chassis suspension can be adjusted on some units. By doing this, at the end of discharge the product will flow to the rear of the Flexitank, making draining easier. Always chock the wheels of the chassis. OPENING THE CONTAINER BEFORE opening the right-hand door CHECK for any sign of damage to the doors that may have occurred in transit. CHECK that the bolts on the left-hand door are still secured in place. Open only the right hand side door. The left door must remain closed until discharge is TOTALLY completed. Open the right side door slowly and cautiously.

Open the valve handle and begin pumping to discharge the product from the flexitank.




PUMPS For discharging flexitanks the use of self-priming POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT pumps is strongly advised. The pump can ideally be 2, 3 or 4 inch with a flow rate of up to 200 US gallons / 800 litres per minute or more. Choice of power will be determined by site location and facilities. Air-driven pumps require supplies of compressed air, and the use of diesel or petrol pumps may be prohibited in certain areas (e.g. oil refineries). Early investigation of the site is recommended. In assessing the capacity and range of pump required it is essential to know: Total length/height/product has to be pumped ('Head'). Maximum length/height of suction required from Flexitank to the pump. - Solids content of

product. Diameter and construction of site pipe work.

When pumping food-grade products all equipment and pipe work used must be approved for the purpose and the pump supplier should be asked to certify accordingly. The use of a centrifugal pump is not recommended because of its inability to completely empty the Flexitank.




Procedure 9 Disposal considerations.

Polyethylene is extremely suitable for reuse. From an environmental point of view, polyethylene is one of the friendliest materials. It is a thermo-plastic material, which means it can be melted down and used for making products virtually indefinitely. Disposal

SIA recognizes two means of disposal: Incineration

Incineration is the preferred disposal method. This consists of delivering the drained and packed Flexitank to a designated and authorized company which complies with local and environmental regulations.

Landfill

Landfill is the other disposal method. In this instance and after draining, all valves and vent ports should be removed from the flexitanks. The material of the Flexitank should then be cut into sizes no larger than one square yard (one square meter). The material can then be delivered to a designated and authorized company, which complies with local and environmental regulations.

Operations Manual - Flexitanks

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