FORESTRY equipment supplier and manufacturer Clark Engineering has unveiled its latest innovation designed to improve the lives of contractors – the G-TANK.
The culmination of many years of forestry grab tank design and manufacture for Clark Engineering, the G-TANK is fully UN ADR approved for the transport of diesel fuel on the public highway, and aims to meet industry demand for a grab tank that is compliant with environmental regulations and answers the specific needs of forestry.
Consisting of a steel outer tank with a polyethylene inner tank with manifold, the G-TANK has a capacity of 950 litres which falls within the ADR law that permits 1,000 litres of diesel fuel to be transported on the public highway without an ADR licence, providing that the tank is UN ADR approved.
It has been thoroughly tested to ensure its plastic inner tank is capable of meeting the requirements of UN ADR law while carrying features that allow it to meet European environmental regulations and satisfy foresters – a triple challenge which Clark Engineering MD Douglas Clark admitted made for an incredibly difficult project.
He said: “We launched our first tanks in the late 1970s when mechanised forestry got started. In the early 2000s, we launched our first double-skinned site tank with a plastic lining on the inside. That’s the tank we’ve been making ever since, but laws and regulations have changed, so we decided to look into developing something new.”
To comply with current UN ADR law, portable fuel tanks must be able to withstand serious damage without leaking. For manufacturers serving the construction industry, this has been achieved by building both the inner and outer tanks from steel – something Clark Engineering quickly realised wasn’t going to suit its customers.
Douglas said: “In the first place, a steel lining makes the tank too heavy. Forestry contractors want something lightweight that they can put on the back of a forwarder.
“The other problem with a steel lining is it sweats, which creates rust and the rust goes to the bottom. It matters a lot less in construction, because they’ve usually got pumps and filter systems on the tank to keep the rust out.
“In the forestry world, the pumps are on the machine and a hose they plug into the tank. All our customers said they wouldn’t buy a tank with a steel lining because of this rust problem. You can’t put rust through a diesel engine. Our inner tank had to be plastic and it had to be spotlessly clean.
“Getting a plastic tank with all the features to meet the environmental and ADR laws has been a challenge. It’s required quite a bit of invention.”
During Clark Engineering’s own product testing, a G-TANK completely full of water was dropped from a height of four metres onto a heavy steel plate. The outer steel tank suffered serious dents, but the inner polyethylene tank maintained its integrity and did not leak or burst, proving the G-TANK exceeds the UN ADR drop test requirements.
Like all UN ADR fuel tanks, G-TANK must be tested and certificated in line with legislation every 2.5 years, so Clark Engineering has set up this testing facility for the future.
Douglas added: “It’s been a challenge and a half, but we did it; we’ve now got patent pending and we’re ready to hit the market.”
The G-TANK is of modular construction and is available as a standard tank with refuelling hose or with an optional tool cupboard, capable of storing two 20-litre oil drums, or an optional refuelling pump system.
G-TANK features:
- 950-litre capacity
- UN ADR approved bunded tank
- Heavy-duty outer steel tank with robust polyethylene inner tank
- Innovative manifold design incorporating valves, filler, take-off points and warning systems
- Refuelling hose stored within the bund containment
- Modular construction
- Optional tool cupboard with storage for two 20-litre drums
- Optional refuelling pump system
- Clark grab bar lifting system with plastic sleeve and four chain lifting points
- Each tank comes complete with required signage and handbook
- Worldwide patent pending
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