Omni Tanker launches in the US

High-tech Australian tanker manufacturer Omni Tanker has officially launched its innovative carbon composite road tanker in the US, making the occasion with an event on October 1 at the headquarters of one of the product's first customers, All Chemical Transport, in New Jersey.

Omni Tanker's products have been in use in Australia since 2006, and feature a unique and internationally patented construction that sees a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CRFP) exterior tank bonded to a seamless thermoplastic interior tank.

The result is an exceptionally light but robust and safe tank suitable for the transport of Class 8 corrosive chemicals, like hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite.

Omni Tanker says the product is safer because the CRFP outer shell is six times stronger than steel, while the tank is significantly lighter than a traditional steel tank or even a fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) tank, as commonly found in the US.

The weight savings typically lead to an 8-10 per cent increase in payload, the company says.

Traditional steel or FRP tankers also require a rubber lining between the tank and the corrosive liquid, which slowly degrades and eventually requires replacement. But there's no lining required in the Omni Tanker product, while it's also said to be far easier to clean.

Now Omni Tanker is exporting its tanks to US partner MAC LTT in Kent, Ohio, which fixes the 5500-gallon tanks to its own trailers and tailors the finished product to its American customers' needs.

Omni Tanker was already exporting intermodal UN portable tanks to Europe, but the trigger for the US deal came after the company received an innovation award at the 2016 JEC Americas composites expo in Atlanta.

While in the US to collect the award, Omni Tanker Chief Executive and founder, Daniel Rogers, and Chief Technical Officer, Luke Djukic, visited the US Department of Transport to see if it might be interested in certifying their product for use in the US, given its safety benefits.

"There was a very positive response from them and so that was when we started mobilising ourselves to make that step," says Mr Djukic.

The company's efforts received a further boost from 2018, when the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre – a part of the Federal Government's Industry Growth Centres initiative to promote and advance local industries to export markets – came on board to help co-fund and smooth the process.

"The AMGC has been a great support in this journey with US road tanker development," said Mr Rogers.

"It's a really nice example of an Australian technology product integrating with a large industry player in the United States."

The key to the company's innovation is the ability to bond the exterior tank to the interior tank, given the inherently slippery nature of thermoplastics.

"We developed a way to stick to Teflon, if you like," says Mr Rogers.

"And that enables us to get the best properties of the thermoplastic materials and the properties of the high-strength reinforced carbon structure so we can create tanks with exceptional light weight, durability, and chemical resistance."

Omni Tanker wouldn't be drawn on specifics regarding pricing, but said its CRFP tanker stacked up well.

"The value proposition of our equipment based on the chemical resistance, the durability, the light weight, ends up with an attractive cost calculation and return on investment," said Mr Rogers.

"By removing maintenance burdens and relining costs and the associated time off the road, and building in the advantages of two-way loading versatility and increased asset utilisation, you end up with a premium-priced product but with a really strong value proposition that justifies the purchase."

Related reading:
Omni Tanker exports to Europe

Marking the official launch of what is known in the US as the Cargo Tank Motor Vehicle, Australia's Ambassador to the United States, Arthur Sinodinos, said Omni Tanker shone a light on the vast potential of Australian technology and manufacturing.

"Omni Tanker has become another Australian success story in the land of opportunity, our most trusted ally the United States of America, by making a long-term commitment, partnering locally and being persistent," he said.

"These are the characteristics that we see the United States value time and time again. Australia is world-class in advanced materials, especially carbon fibre, and Omni Tanker is a shining example of our ability to innovate locally and launch globally."

Now the challenge for Omni Tanker to further scale its operations in the US and elsewhere.

"We will maintain manufacturing in Australia through this phase and then, as the order of magnitude step-change in quantity comes, manufacture in-market in the US and Europe – that is the next stage for us," said Mr Rogers.