Case pressurized road tankers

Leslie McManus

Challenge

Road tank manufacturer Technoimpianti Apm specified uniquely challenging requirements for stainless steel used in construction of pressurized road tankers.

Solution

Through the exceptional mechanical strength of LDX 2404, Outokumpu provided plates that exceeded TiApm’s requirements – and reduced total tanker weight by 1.2 tons, compared to a similar unit built of carbon steel.

Delivery

Steel grade: Outokumpu Forta LDX 2404
Product form: 3000 mm-wide plates produced at Outokumpu’s Degerfors mill and customized discs produced at Outokumpu’s Castelleone Plate Service Center in Italy.

Gas tank gains muscle

In bulk transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), safety is of paramount concern. Manufacturers of pressurized road tankers must meet rigorous industry standards to ensure safety at every stage of operation.

Technoimpianti Apm is a leading manufacturer of road tankers for special applications in the most demanding markets. A recent order for 19 pressurized road tankers specified unusually challenging requirements for mechanical strength.

 

Forta LDX 2404 meets – and beats – expectations

Marking the first use of Forta LDX 2404 in construction of pressurized tankers, Outokumpu provided Technoimpianti Apm with duplex stainless steel high in chromium and nitrogen content. LDX 2404 delivers a higher mechanical strength than other common duplex grades with generally high corrosion resistance.

Indeed, LDX 2404 significantly exceeded Technoimpianti Apm’s requirements. “Outokumpu not only accepted the challenge to guarantee mechanical properties higher than those required by standards,” says Technoimpianti Apm General Manager Engineer Marco Amantia, “it also delivered plates with much higher values than those promised.”

 

Extra-wide plates reduce welding time

Outokumpu’s technical expertise helped TiApm achieve their goals. Marco Frigo, engineer and technical manager for Outokumpu in Italy, provided in-depth technical expertise with particular focus on welding.

Tanker shells were constructed with 3000-mm-wide plates, reducing the manufacturer’s welding time considerably. Tighter tolerances made welding easier. And discs supplied for construction of tanker heads were customized, completely eliminating the need for welding on those components.

This innovative use of Forta LDX 2404 – stronger but lighter – allows tanker walls to be 2 mm thinner, reducing the weight of each semi-trailer by 20% (1.2 tons) compared to similar units built of carbon steel. Through other new technology – use of one pump per truck to load and unload cargo, instead of two – TiApm even further reduces overall weight. Thanks to LDX 2404, pressurized road tankers can be safer, stronger and lighter.

Recommended products and insights

Automotive and transportation

In transportation, today’s solutions must be dynamic enough to carry us to the future. Safe, strong, economical, durable and sustainable: Stainless steel delivers a new dimension of unmatched performance.

Oil and gas

For the exacting standards of today’s oil and gas industry, Outokumpu – the most sustainable supplier of stainless steel for the most sustainable solutions – offers the broadest range of stainless steels available. 

Forta

The Forta range contains duplex and other high strength stainless steels that enable thinner structures and weight reduction (measured in Rp0.2 > 400 MPa. PRE 16 to 43).

Quarto plate

For extra thickness or larger dimensions, Outokumpu hot-rolled plates – quarto or heavy plates – are the ideal solution. Because Outokumpu oversees production from melt to market, superior quality and on-time delivery are assured.

Degerfors Quarto Plate, Sweden

Outokumpu’s largest plate mill, Degerfors would be noteworthy for its output alone. But Degerfors is also famed as a leading global manufacturer of tailor-made stainless steel quarto plates.

Castelleone CSC, Italy

Home to both a coil service center and a plate service center, Castelleone is one of Outokumpu’s biggest European service centers. Tailor-made solutions with short lead times set Castelleone apart from its competitors.

Recommended reading

Case Mine rescue chambers

Stainless saves lives underground