Trimac is first to install Groninger’s new tech in Canada

Trimac is first to install Groninger’s new tech in Canada


Trimac recently installed what it says is the first tank container wash featuring Gröninger Cleaning Systems’ transformative technology in Canada.

The Rotterdam-based supplier boasts high-pressure, low-volume tank wash technology for faster, more consistent cleans. Already widespread internationally, this is expected to deliver “major improvements” to Trimac’s National Tank Services offering. The first wash using the system is expected to take place in late June or early July, Trimac said.

“This is like moving from a garden hose to a pressure washer,” said Marc Gravel, director of facilities and real estate, who helped with the pilot project’s management and business case. “This high-pressure, low-volume system offers us more targeted cleaning, reduces cycle time, and improves efficiencies.”

The proprietary tech involves plunger pumps and electric motors with variable frequency drives (VFDs) to enable premium Gröninger spinners to achieve multiple cleaning pressures, which, depending on the size of the pump, range from 40 pounds per square inch (psi) all the way up to 18,000 psi—an ultra-high pressure rarely required by the average tank wash, outside of cleaning isocyanides that must be hydro-blasted off a surface.

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are industrialised digital computers, tie the system together, making it user-friendly and ensuring consistent cleans by operators in multiple locations. Utilising telemetry from equipment sensors, the PLC automates wash processes and monitors critical inputs, like temperature, pressure, and flow. Readings are collected in the system’s “brain,” converted into relevant data, and outputted as visual cues on a digital touchscreen that displays any errors or product shortages—and gives operators the best chance of doing their job correctly.

The company’s wash systems also feature high-volume blowers with steam heat exchangers that enable them to produce ambient or heated air. As with switching a hairdryer from cool to hot, warmer air dries tanks faster. Larger motors also allow operators to control up to six blowers with one motor, with airflow regulated by PLC-controlled valves, ensuring air only is flowing where it’s needed. A more thorough wash reduces the need to enter the tank for final clean up, promoting safety.

This system is better for the environment because it uses less water than traditional cleaning systems. It runs for a third of the time, using significantly less water in the process, and saves energy costs.

For more information visit groninger.eu

19th July 2021