linium Tankers
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; quite overcome to see that two utive issues of Commercial Motor mbar 17 and 24) carry articles apper; to road tankers. It is possible by now thers have responded to Mr Brockington ird to the use of aluminium for the menu; of petroleum spirit carrying road s. He must, however, be taken to task s statements in both articles regarding )rk hardening of aluminium in service.
re are many thousands of aluminium tankers in service which do not suffer this particular problem but there are 3ctors which will permit the condition d to, to arise. These are the use of the grade of aluminium and poor design tank manufacturer, sometimes at the nce of the customer. A number of ago, in the early development of iium tank's both in the United Kingdom le United States major problems of this )ccurred due to the direct substitution 'minium in place of steel in existing IS coupled with the use of aluminium o then existing specifications.
;e then much development work has ;arried out by the aluminium companies lating in the introduction of AA 5454 iium and this encouraged tank builders velop designs based on the charac:s of the material. This resulted in the uction of many well-designed alun road tanks which do not exhibit fatigue of the type described, and the :nee of one builder and one operator not be taken as general throughout lustry.
ist agree that the incorporating of any in a design to reduce stress levels th while and the use of air suspension iminium tanks can only be to their age. However, spring suspension not be condemmed outright and in lar the monoleaf spring. This spring has nt deflection characteristics and its of breakage since its introduction UK is negligible and the risks involved event of fracture are no greater than nvolved in the bursting of an air suspen. bag, D. A. KELSO, Wanager, Transport Equipment Division, Consani's Engineering Ltd, Elsies River, South Africa, !is° is correct in stating that the design ad tanker shell is important in delaying set of work hardening; the shell should ,gned to give uniform flexing throughout icture.
9 generally accepted by UK tanker s and operators that non-work ing aluminium alloys are too costly rnmercial application. Whether or not single-leaf springs have an overall advantage over the multi-leaf type is controversial; many operators would agree with Mr Kelso's comments—Ed.]