Australian company launches composite road-train tanker

Australian composite materials manufacturer, Omni Tanker, has launched a world-first composite triple road train, able to move almost 100-tonnes of payload in a single haulage run, while significantly reducing operational costs for its customer Townsville Logistics.

Employing advanced composite materials and engineering practices commonly found in aerospace, Omni Tanker’s new triple tanker features world-first Mould-in-Baffles to better manage the movement of fluid (surge) in the road tankers, enhancing safety, while advanced fabrication techniques also reduce the weight of the trailer units.

Omni Tanker says the Mould-in-Baffle principle was conceived five years ago and is now an important part of the company’s innovation portfolio, with the technology set to enter service in the Australian market, as well as export markets including North America and Europe.

The collaborative project between Omni Tanker and Mick Murray Welding delivered a triple road train solution that boasts a 15 per cent gain in payload – as a result of the advanced carbon fibre composite construction – enabling a reduction in the number of trips and associated emissions through the greater carrying capacity.

“Omni Tanker is combining advanced manufacturing technology with aerospace materials and heavy-duty trailers to deliver game-changing liquid payloads for the critical minerals processing industry – right here in Australia,” said CEO and Founder of Omni Tanker, Daniel Rodgers.

“Mick Murray Welding was crucial in achieving project success for our first product in the mining sector. They knew what the mining industry demanded, and they knew the harsh operating conditions they operate in, so it made absolute sense to combine Omni Tanker’s lightweight tanks with their high-tensile steel-skeletal trailers,” he added.

“Via advanced manufacturing techniques and outstanding partners, we were able to boost the payload carrying capacity of road tankers for chemical liquids from the current 85 tonnes per load, typical of stainless-steel tanks, to 98 tonnes – a 15 per cent uplift,” said Rodgers.

Three triple road train sets have now been delivered to Townsville Logistics for use in heavy acid transport across Northern Australia, with greater payload capacity meaning fewer trips, as well as associated cost and environmental benefits.

Omni Tanker is an Australian innovation success story, using advanced composite materials to produce lightweight tanks with exceptional chemical resistance by combining the strength of carbon fibre composites with the chemical resistance of specialty thermoplastic liners using their patented technology.

Type approval of the new Mould-in-Baffle structures has now been granted, with unit builds completed for Australian road trains in late 2022, followed by first type approval for European Swap Tanks under the European ADR (Road) and RID (Rail) in early 2023.

Road transport of chemicals is a demanding industry that requires proven materials. Achieving game-changing weight savings required deploying materials currently used in aerospace and high-pressure hydrogen tanks.

The Omni Tanks used on the triple road trains were required to contain baffles inside, as a safety feature to mitigate sloshing of fluids, and to meet dangerous goods transport tank regulation requirements.

The Mould-in-Baffles developed for these tanks are highly specialised and unique to Omni Tanks. Based on a moulding process that produces the internal baffle at the same time as the lining of the tank, there are no seams or joins associated with the baffle joining the tank wall.

As a result, the interior lining of the tank is weld free – a major enabling feature for the triple road train.