The technology
behind tank cleaning
Sustainability and energy supply
Safety
Ergonomics and quality
Quality and assurance: Food
Quality and assurance: Non-food and Chemicals
Service & Support Beyond Cleaning
Residual flow: water and air purification
Software & assurance: Cleaning Guard

Tank cleaning is our business

Our tank cleaning systems are used all over the world by both start-up container depots and major established names. They all have complete trust in the Gröninger technology and that requires a high level of knowledge; that’s why we are constantly growing and developing in the field of tank cleaning. By investing in research and innovation, we are now the benchmark in the industry. And that’s something we’re very proud of.

 

Innovation at and with Gröninger

White paper 1: We introduced our high pressure/low volume tank cleaning systems to The North America market. Allowing tanks to be cleaned within 30 minutes. That’s a 75% shorter cleaning cycle time than before. Read it in this leaflet.

White paper 2: By nature, the sector has a large carbon footprint. Every day we are working on reducing the ecological (tank cleaning) footprint. Think of water reuse, heat recovery, recirculation units (CIP).

White paper 3: As a partner or choice, we look after the entire procedure – from the realisation phase to the maintenance of tank cleaning systems. And we do this for tank cleaning stations and tank container depots all over the world. That allows our customers to focus on their core business, which is the interior and exterior cleaning of ISO tank containers, tankers, bulk trailers and silo trucks.

White paper reduce tank cleaning cylce time USA America Groninger    White paper reduce tank cleaning footprint europe groninger    White paper how to start tank cleaning depot groninger

Start cleaning the Gröninger way….. now!

The technology behind tank cleaning

Gröninger gets the maximum out of the technology. That is expressed not only in the design, construction and installation of a tank cleaning system but also in our maintenance and service activities. Added to that, we also supply all the essential input for the civil engineering, infrastructure and technical periphery. This includes includes water treatment, air purification, dryer and hot water supply with a central heating boiler or a steam boiler.

 

Gröninger’s area of operation extends further than just the equipment. For our clients, we’re the point of contact for the total project. Sustainability and operational reliability are our main focus. For example, during the construction phase our teams work only with A-quality materials and components that we have developed and tested ourselves.

Sustainability and energy supply

Energy takes up a huge share of the cost price of a tank cleaning. That is why sustainable cleaning systems actually pay for themselves. We provide energy-saving solutions to help companies operate in a more environmentally friendly way and reduce costs.

That is why Gröninger pays special attention to:


Sustainable steam and central heating systems
To heat the washing water, you can choose between a steam boiler or a central heating boiler. And the steam boiler or steam generator not only heats the water. It also pre-heats, pre-steams and sterilises the tanks after cleaning. In the latter case, we call it kosher clean.


Energy savings
To reduce energy consumption, we use a wide range of technologies:

  • Frequency regulators to reduce electricity consumption and maintenance of the high-pressure pumps.
  • Flue gas capacitors to cool the flue gases from the steam boiler and supply the recovered energy in the washing water.
  • Wastewater cooling to reduce energy consumption and improve the performances of the oil and grease separators and the DAF unit for the water treatment system.
  • Hot-fuelled pumps to buffer the hot water and reduce the peak capacity of the system.

Alternative energy sources
Besides the classic steam and central heating boilers, Gröninger also uses other heat sources, such as:

  • Biogas: biogas is produced when organic waste is fermented. This gas can be used to fuel a steam boiler, for example.
  • Cogeneration: the combined use of heat and power produces enough residual heat to heat a large part of the washing water.
  • Geothermal heat pumps: these pumps use the energy that is stored in the deeper layers of the earth.

 

Safety

Safety is a priority. But cleaning tanks is not risk-free. The tanks sometimes contain aggressive chemicals. The use of hot water under high pressure is also a risk, as is working at heights. Gröninger tailors the technology to these risks and takes no shortcuts.

Fall protection
When deciding on fall protection, you can choose between individual or collective fall protection. It is often decided to use an individual system where the cleaner secures himself with a hook mounted on a ram. If the cleaner falls, his fall is broken by the ram. The design of the wash tunnel gives the operator optimal freedom of movement. Watch the film on YouTube.

Grounding
When cleaning certain products, there is a risk of explosion. To limit this risk, a good grounding system is crucial. It ensures that static electricity is discharged without creating sparks.

Ergonomics and quality

Two factors determine the quality of the cleaning. The first is a well-functioning system and the second is a well-trained cleaner who also has the proper tools and instruments.

Automatic washing programmes
Good cleaning is based on predefined washing programmes. That way, the cleaner can focus on other tasks while the programme is running.

Training
Gröninger pays a great deal of attention to instructing cleaners when a system is being transferred to a customer. We have an extensive network of experienced operators, who can also be called in on an interim basis.

Tools
Tools at the workplace include high-pressure guns, foam guns and vaporising systems. Added to that, the vacuum extractor is a useful tool that makes it possible to inspect tanks quickly. The vapour left in the tank after cleaning is extracted extremely quickly using compressed air. Watch the movie on YouTube.

Quality and assurance: Food

Cleaning food residues is an art in itself in the tank cleaning sector. Gröninger systems clean tanks with residual cargo – such as fruit juices, oils or chocolate – according to the strictest criteria. In fact, the system design is even tailored to the cleaner. This gives cleaners all the tools they need to clean the tank according to the shipper’s requirements. That means that the cleaning process is safeguarded from A to Z.


A Gröninger system pays special attention to:

Cleaning loading and discharging hoses
It is vitally important to clean not just the tank but also the fittings and the loading and discharging hoses. Gröninger has developed a number of applications for this purpose. The standard for cleaning loading and discharging hoses consists of a stainless steel frame on which the hoses are cleaned free of the wash bay floor. A more advanced solution offers the possibility to steam, clean and dry hoses automatically using a manifold.

Sterilising with steam
Steam is often used to clean food tanks. And there is a reason for that. Products such as oil and chocolate have a high melting point. By blowing steam into the tank before cleaning, these products can be removed much more easily. As a result, the water treatment is less intensive and you save on water and energy consumption during the washing process.

Disinfecting the cleaned tanks
Any residual bacteria are eliminated by blowing steam into the tank after cleaning. This is even a requirement for kosher cleaning. Gröninger systems use manholes to blow steam into the tank. This process is fully automated and can be monitored with temperature sensors.

PLC control and sensors
The cleaning process is controlled from the PLC and monitored using various sensors.

Cleaning Guard
The Gröninger systems are particularly suited to special tank cleaning software. The technology has been developed together with tank cleaning operators, shippers and software specialists and is called Cleaning Guard. The system validates and monitors the cleaning process. It helps you guarantee the highest possible quality of tank cleaning.

The system measures not only the temperature, pressure, flow and dosing of the detergent but also the elapsed time of the cleaning process. The monitored process parameters are presented to the customer and shippers in graphs and tables. The Cleaning Guard system for tank cleaning and ISO tank container cleaning has been audited and accredited by Sure Global Fair (SGF).

Quality and assurance: Non-food and Chemicals

Over the years, thousands of new chemicals have been developed. Most chemicals are transported as liquid in tankers and tank containers or as powder or granules in bulk trailers. The cleaning process for these types of tanks requires a specific approach, because the safety requirements in this sector are even stricter than for food.

The optimal pressure
The correct pressure is crucial for the cleaning result. Some residual cargo is easy to clean with a maximum of 50 or 100 bar. For certain chemicals, extra high pressures are required to clean the tanks in which they were transported. That is why besides systems that operate at 50 and 100 bar, Gröninger also supplies systems with ‘heavy duty’ 200 bar pumps. For the optimal result, a programme automatically matches the residual products with a suitable detergent.

Tank cleaning in ATEX environment
Cleaning tanks in an ATEX zone deserves special attention because of the explosion hazard in those types of environments. In these cases, a wash tunnel with an ATEX quality mark is a requirement. Gröninger supplies systems with ATEX-certified components.

Air purification when cleaning tanks
Specific chemicals such as ammonia and acrylate cause odour nuisance. To keep the nuisance to a minimum, Gröninger has developed an integrated solution. Released gases are extracted and rendered harmless in an air purifier system. The system largely consists of a combination of gas scrubbers (alkaline and acid) and an active carbon filter.

Special equipment for cleaning synthetic resin and latex
The cleaning of dried latex or synthetic resin requires more than just a high pressure or temperature. Gröninger has designed an efficient latex cleaning system. The system pumps detergent into the tank using a recirculation system.

Special equipment for MDI and TDI cleaning
Dried MDI and TDI are cleaned at an operating pressure of as much as 800 bar, a high temperature and a large circulation volume. Gröninger has designed an MDI/TDI cleaning system in cooperation with partner Dynajet. The system pumps detergent into the tank using a recirculation system.

Besides specific technology for food and chemicals, we also provide tank cleaning components for universal use:

Heating system for tanks and tank containers
Tankers and tank containers that are loaded but not connected are kept at the right temperature using an exterior heat source. Depending on the type of tank and product, it can be decided to clean with steam, warm water or electricity. In practice, steam is the most frequently chosen heating medium. Then, temperature-sensitive products are not only heated in a controlled way but the safety and quality of the product is also assured.

Dryers for tankers, tank containers and bulk trailers
With the latest version of the Gröninger drypack, the drying time has been shortened to approximately 7-8 minutes. That means that the tunnel is again quickly available for a new vehicle. Warm, filtered air is used for drying. These filters comply with the strictest requirements defined by shippers. The air is blown into the tanks through stainless steel blowpipes, which keeps the hoses intact and limits pollution.

Service & Support Beyond Cleaning

For service & support, there is just one point of reference: the customer and the desired cleaning activities. Gröninger service & support modules are the result of a thorough analysis of the customer’s requirements and are essential for ensuring successful business operations based on efficient and effective processes. Besides developing and supplying customised solutions systems, the Gröninger organisation is also dedicated to providing customised service, maintenance and support after the equipment has been installed and fully commissioned. We call it “Support Beyond Cleaning”. Read more, click on 'Service & Parts'.

Residual flow: water and air purification

 

Gröninger is a turnkey supplier of all the technology related to cleaning and supplies all the equipment required to treat water. The optimal system is designed on the basis of the products to be cleaned and the local discharge requirements. The system usually consists of an oil and grease separator, buffer tanks, a DAF unit and a biologist. To save energy, in the past few years systems have been developed that focus on recovering energy and the partial re-use of water. For many systems, an air purification system is also necessary or desired. Here, too, Gröninger is the perfect partner.

 

Software & assurance: Cleaning Guard

Cleaning Guard is a combined software / hardware tool for managing tank cleaning and is currently used as a package by tank cleaning companies all over the world. It is now the industry standard. Cleaning Guard was developed in close cooperation with tank cleaning operators, shippers and internal and external software specialists. The combination of the expertise and experience of these specialists has produced a system that validates and monitors the cleaning process in a way that assures the highest possible tank cleaning quality.

Tank cleaning is our job

Our tank cleaning systems are used all over the world by both start-up container depots and major established names. They all have complete trust in the Gröninger technology and that requires a high level of knowledge; that’s why we are constantly growing and developing in the field of tank cleaning. By investing in research and innovation, we are now the benchmark in the industry. And that’s something we’re very proud of.


Innovation at and with Gröninger
White paper 1: We introduced our high pressure/low volume tank cleaning systems to The North America market. Allowing tanks to be cleaned within 30 minutes. That’s a 75% shorter cleaning cycle time than before. Read it in this leaflet. 

White paper 2: By nature, the sector has a large carbon footprint. Every day we are working on reducing the ecological (tank cleaning) footprint. Think of water reuse, heat recovery, recirculation units (CIP).

White paper 3: As a partner or choice, we look after the entire procedure – from the realisation phase to the maintenance of tank cleaning systems. And we do this for tank cleaning stations and tank container depots all over the world. That allows our customers to focus on their core business, which is the interior and exterior cleaning of ISO tank containers, tankers, bulk trailers and silo trucks.

Whitepaper reduce tank cleaning cycle time USA Groninger   Whitepaper reduce cleaning footprint Europe Groninger   How to start a tank cleaning depot

Start cleaning the Gröninger way….. now!

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