GRP Plasticorr Ltd. – a leading Hungarian company specialised in environmental protection since 1991 – has chosen Gerotto’s technology to perform tank cleaning of the underground tanks of petrol stations all over Hungary.
“We work in a very narrow industry, where, based on my experience, it is difficult to find partners with whom we do not immediately become competitors, but with whom we can work together on future projects. With Gerotto, however, we immediately had a good fit and to this day we are able to work together in a way that is future-proof and pays off for both parties in the long term. Our goal is common, which is to make this dangerous industry as safe as possible while continuing to deliver quality work. If we use automation and digitalization for good in this way, then I am proud to lead GRP in this direction in the future and I believe that this is the right strategy.” Kajtár Máté, CEO of GRP Plasticorr Ltd.
Lombrico FTC: the technology answer to fit tiny-confined spaces
GRP uses the Gerotto’s Lombrico FTC, a task-based ATEX zone 0 robot engineered to enter up to 400mm (16”) manhole and designed to perform tank cleaning duties in underground tanks. The movable arm is build to mount 3 rotating water nozzles that can pump water with an adjustable flow rate of 8-60 [l/min] at 5-200 [bar]. Thanks to its small dimensions (1200x360x320) and less than 130 kg it can be easily deployed in every petrol station.
The results: safety without loss of productivity
Tank cleaning operations are usually performed manually and that needs compliance to confined spaces and ATEX procedures. This required specialised workers that are exposed to hi-risk accidents.
Before the introduction of robotic technology, the standard solution was manual tank cleaning, which involved:
- Personnel physically entering the tanks,
- Using breathing protection and continuous gas monitoring,
- Mechanically and manually removing residues,
- Extensive preparation and ventilation of the tank before work.
The choice of robotic tank cleaning has reduced by 33 percent the tank cleaning time: from 1.5 hours for manual cleaning to 1 hour using robotics. For each tank an amount of 300 lt. of residue has been cleaned and reclaimed minimizing environmental footprint and just 3 workers has been employed.
Benefit: operational, safety and environmental
The adoption of Gerotto’s robotic cleaning solutions produced measurable and immediate benefits:
- Improved safety: zero human entry into confined and hazardous spaces.
- Continuous work cycles without operator fatigue.
- Lower exposure to hazardous substances for personnel.
- Faster execution times: approximately 1 hour per tank, significantly reducing downtime.
- Material recovery: a total of 300 litres per tank of residues were reclaimed, minimizing waste generation and environmental impact.
The technology also enabled downstream operations, such as coating applications, to start sooner, accelerating the entire maintenance schedule.
For more information visit www.grp-plasticorr.huand www.gerotto.it
