FLEXITANK FOR GENERAL ISO CONTAINERS
Flexitanks are a special piece of equipment produced from plastic material. In essence, it is a multilayer bag with a capacity of up to 25,000 litres (6,900 gal.). These tanks are installed within a standard 20” container and the product is pumped into it, either from the top or bottom of the flexitank. Much like the ISO tank, you must fill a flexitank up to 24 - 25 tonnes (53,000 - 55,000 lb) to keep within the maximum pressure limits allowed. Overloading can rupture the side walls of a container. However, If you underload, it cannot be insured as it is be prone to leakages. Optimizing your flexitank cargo load is easy with container weighing jacks.
A key thing to remember with flexitanks is that they are only suitable for harmless (non hazardous) products. That said, they are ideal for oxygen and moisture sensitive products such as wine, flat beer and chemicals, as you can get tanks with barrier coats or osmosis prevention systems.
Flexitank Liquid Cargo Transport Pros:
- Fast loading / discharging
- Lower cost than other packing methods (IBC’s, drums & barrels) so you save money on packaging costs
- No contamination of cargo
- Low storage costs for empty tanks
- Maximise payload due to low weight of equipment
- Flexitank Liquid Cargo Transport Cons:
- One-way - cannot be reused
- Must be insured for the intended use
- Not as ideal for railway transport as the rear walls can be damaged by heavy shaking or from sudden stops during train manoeuvres
- Can’t be used for dangerous or hazardous goods