Benefits of Shipping With Flexitanks

A flexitank is a bulk liquid storage container made out of synthetic materials. The difference between this type of container and a conventional containers is its flexibility. Traditional containers have a rigid structure but in the case of flexitank this is not the case. Think of a flexitank like a bag you can carry liquids in. The bag does not have a rigid structure but can still contain liquids without letting it pour outwards.

The convenience of the flexible structure of the flexitank means that it can be put in conventional containers such as ocean containers and filled up with liquids inside them.

Flexitanks allow you to leverage the storage equipment that you already have and use it to transport and store large volumes of non-hazardous liquids.

Even in conventional transport like trucks. After setting up a rigid container on the trailer a flexitank can be placed in the trailer so that container and simply filled with liquid. So you don't have to retrofit the equipment you have and secondly you do not need a dedicated tanker to transport liquids. This is the power of leveraging flexitanks.

The flexitank was invented in the 1960s for US military use for the specific purpose of leveraging existing transportation methods. Back then it was used to transport water at diesel. Flexitank is constituted of artificial fibers the main one of which is multiple layers of polyethylene. Polyethylene is impermeable to liquids and therefore prevent leakages. But by itself it cannot withstand the pressure created by storing large volumes of liquids.

The outer wall of a flexitank is reinforced by having a layer of mashed and interwoven polypropylene. So as you fill up the liquid, the outward pressure generated by the liquid inside is contained by the strong mesh of interwoven polypropylene on its exterior wall.

Flexitanks are also suitable for transporting and storage of goods meant for human consumption because polypropylene does not leave traces on food and does not is not toxic or harmful. So this storage mechanism can provide a very convenient way of transporting food concentrates, edible oils, and beverages. The tank itself can then be contained in a standard shipping container.

Let us now look at the advantages of flexitanks in the logistics business

Reduced cost of transportation

Flexitanks considerably reduce the cost and expenses associated with transportation because the tank itself doesn't have to be returnable. Conventional transportation containers might require two way cost calculation one for sending it with the item and the second cost is the return leg. The lower cost of flexitanks means that it is cheaper to send it one way and let the consumer at the destination to retain it.

Lower cost of acquisition

Specialized liquid storage containers are much more expensive to fabricate particularly if you intend to invest in materials such as stainless steel. The flexibility of residents also means that they can be used to store much more liquid than standard containers because they simply fit in to the dimensions of the container in which they held in.

Quick turnaround time

If your flexitank is contained in a standard container, then off-loading liquid after transportation means is simply a matter of offloading the container and then simply draining the liquid from the flexitank. 

Lower environmental footprint

Standard shipping containers and dedicated water or liquid storage containers leave a large environmental footprint because they're very hard to recycle. It is very common to find the yards full of standard shipping containers while the same cannot be said for flexitanks. The material from which flexitanks are made that is, polypropylene is just standard plastic. There are very clear and established processes of recycling polypropylene. So even if the flexitank has been sent one way, whatever destination it arrives at, it will be recycled and put back to good use with minimum risk of harming the environment.

Leverage existing containers

The biggest advantage of flexitanks is that you can use it in conjunction with the equipment you already have. From specialized logistics companies to ordinary individuals, with a flexitank, you do not need to acquire or fabricate a specialized liquid storage container. 

If you wanted to transport clean drinking water for an outdoor function all you need is your van and a reinforced crate and a flexitank.

Maintenance-free

Flexitanks are designed for single-use if necessary. They do not require to be cleaned for you to put in the next shipment. This reduces the hassle of worrying about how to clean the interior of it instead all you do is buy another one.