25,000 litre bulk tank for animal feed manufacturers rumenco
Bulk liquids storage specialist, Niplast of Stockport, has designed, manufactured and commissioned a customised 25,000 litre thermoplastic storage tank, complete with dedicated containment bund, for Rumenco of Burton on Trent, the UK market leader in the farm feed supplements. Globally active in agribusiness, the customer is a member of the United Molasses Group, the world's largest trader in molasses liquids, and is a division of Tate & Lyle Industries.
The bi-product of cane and beet sugar production, molasses offers exceptional nutritional benefits as animal food and Rumenco incorporates this into a range of liquid, dry, moist and block feeds for cattle and sheep. Outstanding levels of product quality and consistency have been achieved through major investment in dedicated storage, filtration, blending and transportation systems.
As part of this investment programme, the company recently decided to upgrade to bulk delivery and storage of phosphoric acid, used in animal feed processing. Niplast, which has nearly 20 years’ experience of manufacturing thermoplastic bulk storage tanks, was selected for the contract on the basis of price, performance and delivery. One particular aspect of the order was the need to reconcile the relatively limited available space, with the need to accept a complete tanker load at each delivery.
The resulting tank is a UV-stabilised, black polypropylene, cylindrical vessel, with an internal diameter of 2,600mm and a height of 5,100mm. Offering a design life of 25 years, the tank was tailor-made to suit the particular liquid characteristics, in this case a specific gravity of 1.60 and an ambient storage temperature of 25°C.
The material itself is relatively lightweight, maintenance-free, corrosion-resistant and fully compatible with the chemical, maximising longevity and eliminating costly replacement programmes; precision butt fusion welding of the extruded thermoplastic sheet further ensures inherent long-term strength.
The vessel is fitted with a closed conical roof, designed to withstand the weight of inspection staff and snow loading; this incorporates a 150mm cowled vent, for maintaining atmospheric pressure. A 50mm diameter fill line, for facilitating bulk tanker discharge, is welded down the side of the tank and equipped with filling and drain valves. There is also an outlet flange and a float level indicator for monitoring fullness.
Finally, a dedicated bund, 2,300mm high and 3,900mm in diameter, is provided for containing accidental spillage, in accordance with current health & safety legislation. This is constructed from the same polypropylene material, so has identical performance properties, and is fitted with a weather cover and anti-flotation lugs to prevent the tank itself from moving when empty.
Overall, the Rumenco bulk storage tank is an ideal example of Niplast’s capacity for developing tailored fluid handling solutions for almost every liquid chemical.
