WINNER OF ‘THE FATAL 6’ AWARD and FINALIST
CEMEX and Feldbinder, a major European manufacturer of bulk powder transport tanks, have worked together to develop a prototype automatic tank lid. This development paves the way for this to become a standard option on tanks and removes the risks of working from height and the manual handling involved in access platforms, kneeling and the ergonomics of having to loosen and tighten the lid hatches several times a day.
CEMEX installed the auto lid on two tanks and has undertaken field trials. The lids on the tanks can be opened automatically at ground level by the driver. The auto lids consist of a pneumatic sequenced ram and lid lock system with inflated lid seal. We have utilised the same working practices as the standard manual lid tanks for test purposes.
The tanks have been operational for over 12 months. During this trial period several improvements have been made to enhance the system in response to the operational experience and driver feedback. In particular, issues associated with the tank seals in colder weather, some weather related problems with operational components, and the need for additional maintenance checks. To address these issues the following improvements were made;
- Redesigned stainless steel ram pivot mounts
- Upgraded the rams
- Modified the sequencing system.
Please view video of the auto lid system