How Chart's Siphon series tanks improve efficiencies and reduce costs versus standard bulk tanks
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Company:
Rockford Industrial Welding Supply Inc. is located in Rockford, IL and is an independent distributor of welding supplies and industrial gases. Gases are delivered to customers in high-pressure cylinders, liquid cylinders, dewars, and MicroBulk form. Rockford Industrial runs five days per week, and delivers to customers throughout northern Illinois, eastern Iowa, and southern Wisconsin.
Challenge:
Rockford Industrial was utilizing standard bulk tanks to store bulk liquid nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and specialty gases used in its filling operation.
Solution:
Rockford Industrial contacted Chart Inc. and requested a Siphon 100® Bulk Storage Tank analysis for each of their cryogenic gases. Upon Chart’s recommendation, Rockford Industrial installed three new Siphon 100 tanks to streamline their filling operations.
Benefits:
Among the many benefits Rockford Industrial now enjoys, three stand out:
- Pump life has been extended and repair costs reduced.
- Running a second shift has been eliminated.
- Filling time for a cylinder has been reduced by 50% enabling a 200% increase in cylinder filling production.
The data below reflects the before and after results Rockford Industrial experienced from replacing standard bulk tanks with Siphon 100 tanks.
| Before Siphon 100 Tanks | After Siphon 100 Tanks | |
| Annual Pump Overhaul Expense | $8,000 | $2,000 |
| Pump Life Before Overhaul | 2000 hours | 8600 hours |
| Cost for Two staff on 2nd Shift | $100,000 | $0 |
| Cylinder Fill Time | 32 minutes | 16 minutes |
Outcome:
In addition to the financial benefits the Chart Siphon 100 systems bring to Rockford Industrial noted above, several operational benefits also became apparent. By eliminating its second shift, Rockford Industrial eliminated a safety concern and supervision issue. With newly created capacity, Rockford Industrial is able to offer quick turnaround on its customers’ cylinder orders. Rockford Industrial is able to fill more cylinders in one shift that it did in two shifts.
Customer Quote:
Rick Keefer, Corporate Sales Manager, noted, “At first I was concerned about achieving a return on the significant investment for the Siphon 100 tanks. But after our experience, they are well worth the investment. Siphon 100 tanks work as advertised.”