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Molasses by Throughout Country

10th April 1959, Page 54
10th April 1959
Page 54
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Page 54, 10th April 1959 — Molasses by Throughout Country
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

By

Ashley Taylor,

THE tanker fleet of the United Molasses Co., Ltd., constitutes the final link in a transport chain that leads from nearly all sugarproducing countries, including lands as far away as Java and Hawaii, to various centres in Britain. Importers and distributors of molasses, the company own the Athelshipping lines by which it is collected from different parts of the world. •

The product is derived from sugar cane which is crushed, the sugar being extracted and leaving various juices. The commodity is collected and stored in huge tanks, from which it is transhipped to Britain, here being largely used for mixing with meals in the manufacture of cattle food.

Molasses is also used in the manufacture. of l -0,

industrial alciahol and yeast, for the binding ! '

element for foundry care sand, and has aplate

1 in leather tanning. '

On arrival in Britain, the product is off-loaded into tank installations at Liverpool, Birkenhead, Avonmouth, Dagenham, Hull or Greenock. Both road and rail are used for onward distribution, the road fleet headquarters being situated in Liverpool. To ensure an efficient and flexible service to the buyers, the company operate 45 molassescIrrying vehicles, 32 being Scammell rigid eight-wheelers and 13 Seddon Mark 8 articulated six-wheelers.

All are tankers, with the exception of one platform unit which is employed for the delivery of molasses in drums. In addition there are two service vans. The eight-wheelers generally have a capacity of 2,100 gal., although some of the new ones will handle 2,380 gal. For such large vehicles the gallolvage might well appear to be on the low side, but it has to be borne in mind that molasses weighs 1411 lb. per gall6n.

The bulk of the fleet is stationed at Liverpool, where the transport manager, Mr. T. Williams, has his office. After some experience in the motor industry, Mr. Williams joined cl 6 the United Molasses Co., Ltd. in 1930. Before the war he spent over six months with Scammell Lorri returned to his original employers, and in assistant to the late Mr. R. McK. Walke succeeded on the latter's death three years lat direction from the company's head office in Williams is responsible for the choice, operati tenance of vehicles, the buying of spares, insur and the control of staff.

To deal with local distribution, three rigid eight-wheelers are stationed at Greenock, two at Avonmouth, one at Hull and one at Dagenham. Whilst the area molasses managers s, Ltd. He 949 became , whom he r. Spbject to ondon, Mr. n and mainnce matters, arrange deliveries for vehicles stationed in their own territories, the workingof the fleet on a national basis is governed from Liverpool. The nature of the traffic is such that most workings can he planned wellin • advance, the rosters,being subject to adjustment should there be lastminute alterations to customers' requirements.

As has already been indicated, practically all the traffic consists of bulk loads,. some. of which are discharged to points above vehicle level. The tanks are fabricated in high-quality mild steel. In. the past, where it has been necessary to deliver to a point above the vehicle tank level, a Scammen-designed three,cylindered radial water-cooled compressor has been used in conjunction with the eightwheelers, this being actuated from the gearbox power takeoff and supplying 60. c.f.m. of free air. In the case of the Seddons, a smaller_single-cylindered compressor is used iii conjunction with a Reavell SA 4 pump, the output being approximately 17 el.m.

Flexible Piping

Later experience has revealed that the discharge of the product above ground level is best effected by the employ. ment of a positive-displacement gear pump. The outlet from the pump is through a union which links up with 4-in, flexible piping that is carried on the vehicle in 6-ft. and 12-ft. lengths.

Increased use is being made of lightweight plastics piping, which is more flexible than the conventional type, as well as being easier to handle. Apart from working efficiency, the advantages of using the positive-displacement pump include the ability to fabricate the tank in lighter metals, thus giving a better payload. Furthermore, the system avoids the necessity of the periodic inspection of the vehicle that would otherwise be required under the Factory Act regulations concerning pressurized tanks.

However, the usual form of discharge is still by gravity from a 14-in. foot valve fitted to the rear of the tank, the molasses then falling through a 14-in, mild-steel chute.

In the one case where experiments have been made with a 12-gauge stainless-steel tank, the benefits have included both lighter weight and better flow characteristics to the pump. An additional point is that the highly polished tank is not painted, and the reduction of expense to some extent offsets the higher initial cost. The first vehicle so equipped has been in use for 18 months, and close observation of its performance is continuing.

A further interesting experiment was the fitting of one of the articulated Seddon six-wheelers with a special positive gear pump. Normally some difficulty arises in the arrangement of the drive on articulated outfits, but this problem has been overcome by the evolution of an unusual slip coupling which is engaged only when the vehicle comes to rest-in the discharge position.

Although the device is not claimed to work when the outfit is fully articulated, it is good for operation at angles up to 12°-15°. The coupling is a product of the company's workshops and most of the necessary components were manufactured there. An American Roper pump is used with a capacity of 10 tons per hour, which can be delivered to a height of 25-30 ft., although in isolated cases this lift may be exceeded.

The fleet serves the entire country with the possible exceptions of South Wales and the very north of Scotland, the vehicles on average covering a radius of 80-100 miles from the various installations. Loading is by gravity from overhead containers which are auxiliaries to the bulk tank farms. Some three-quarters of the fleet is engaged on longdistance work, the Liverpool vehicles running to Manchester, Birmingham and other places farther afield.

Units on local deliveries operate chiefly in the Liverpool docks area, the distance rarely exceeding four miles a trip. One of the longest runs is the daily journey from Liverpool to Bristol, on which a changeover of drivers takes place at Kidderminster.

The nature of the company's work calls for the vehicles to operate over a wide area in winter, when molasses from beet grown in Britain is available. At this time of the year, a number of drivers will be working away from Liverpool for as long as two months, their centres of activity including south-east England, Lincolnshire and the Peterborough, King's Lynn and Harwich areas. Because of the varied nature of their work, special consideration is given to the domestic requirements of the driving staff and a number of arrangements is made to assist their welfare. c18 As the drivers' record sheets are received they are thefully examined, and should there appear to be any inconsistencies they are returned for amendment by the individual concerned. For this purpose a printed card has been prepared which is attached to the offending sheet. This gives details of all the stock complaints, the drivers being instructed to deal with those underlined and to return both card and sheet to the Liverpool garage.

A counterfoil is retained in the file which shows the date on which the card was dispatched and the serial number of complaints against the particular driver. The 27 points enumerated include references to weights, destinations, starting and finishing times, speedometer readings, expenses, weight notes and receipts.

An excellent relationship exists between the road transport staff and the management, and Mr. Williams told me that this had been achieved by the maintenance of .good conditions of work. A number of relatively minor items testified to the company7s regard for the employees' comfort, it being noted that cabs on the vehicles in the garage were equipped with Chapman drivers' seats, also beaters and screen demisters. So as to ensure that a reserve of drivers shall be available to meet emergencies, the engineering staff is fully manned with men who are qualified to operate heavy vehicles and can replace absentees.

A variety of maintenance facilities exists at the Liverpool headquarters, these including a small machine shop, a forge, a body shop where replacement cabs are built, storage facilities for the maturing of their own timber, drills and presses. There is also equipment for welding and brazing and for the repair of plastics wings.

Tyre maintenance is carried out in England by the Marsharn organization and in Scotland by Briggs, but at Liverpool there is an extensive tyre shop with machines for vulcanizing and the recutting of treads. Cylinder lining work and crankshaft regrinding are contracted out, but otherwise maintenance is performed in the headquarters workshops. A steam generator provides an effective means for vehicle cleansing.

Central-point mechanical lubrication is standard on the fleet and, particularly in view of the vehicles being away from Liverpool for lengthy periods, has proved a most satisfactory arrangement. Drivers wha are working away from home are allowed certain time for the checking of tyres and for the making of routine inspections.

Generally, however, maintenance is performed at the main depot which also undertakes periodical painting. Vehicles that are out-stationed at the various installations are serviced by driver-mechanics on the spot and are visited at intervals by a mobile. workshop. Minor troubles, whether arising accidentally or from wear and tear, are dealt with by agreement with members of the motor trade, but where major attention is needed the .units concerned are always returned to Liverpool. Here the shops are open continuously throughout the 24 hours so that vehicles working locally can be examined each night after return from duty. Full advantage is taken of the week-end when the long-distance lorries, which are operating a five-day week, can be given a detailed check.

Drivers are constantly reminded that no vehicle should be taken on the highway if there.is any doubt regarding its roadworthiness, and they regularly report suspected troubles for action by the maintenance staff.

The ScarnmeHs are given a top overhaul, together with a thorough inspection, at 50,000-mile intervals, continuing to 175,000-200,000 miles, at which stage they are stripped down, rebuilt and repainted. At this juncture, the Gardner engines are overhauled in the company's own workshops.

The Scammells are run on a calculated life of 15 year.

As the Seddons are usually engaged on the shorterdistance journeys, they have the benefit of constant supervision. For these full advantage is taken of the Perkins Perpetuity scheme and these engines are not completely overhauled in the United Molasses workshops, as figures suggest that such a procedure would be uneconomic. The Seddons' calculated life is 10 years.

Mr. Williams examines the work recorded on all the job sheets. The various main items are extracted and recorded on a card-index system, together with an indication of the fitter concerned so that in the case of a failure an immediate check can be made. Running-cost figures are taken out on an annual basis, which includes allocations in respect of the vehicles, buildings and plant employed.

Altogether the fleet of United Molasses transports approximately 200,000 Ions of molasses and covers about Lim. miles a year.

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Organisations: Marsharn

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