Rayplex
was called by the largest North American Bumper Plater
to redesign a 3000 gal acid tank. This tank-measured
9ft long by 8 ft wide a depth of 7 ft. Conventional
design wisdom was used with a few twists. A traveling
crane places A fifteen hundred lb. load of bumpers on
the tank’s upper edge every two minutes 24 hrs. a day
6.5 days a week. Due to previous electrical buzzing
problems, the top edge was electrically divided into a
POS and NEG zone using the electrical isolation
properties of FRP.
Problems with chemical maintained required the tank be drained and manpower was required to sweep out and mop clean plating sediment weekly. Rayplex designed this tank to drain clean using slop to a central drain. Plant personal just washed the tank clean with a hose from outside the tank. Savings included confined space entry procedures. Safety man now performs other essential maintenance work.
A skimming weir (not shown) was added to liquid level. This allows floating impurities to drain off and replacement acid is added for makeup. Spent material was sent to pollution system for ph adjustment.
The blue ribs shown are structural steel that was laminated into the tank. Steel ribs dissipated the dynamics forces the tank received plus keep the tank from distorting under liquid load.
This tank was installed in 1995 and to date has required no maintenance service calls.
Rayplex provided the customer with transportation jigs and custom-made moving dollies for a zero damage installation.
The tank was fabricated from Hetron 197 using hand laminating. Canadian Government Standards Boards specification 41-GP- 22 was the fabrication standard. There were no agreed deviations from the standard.
