RIKUTEC Group, a leading blow molding technology specialist, has introduced the industrial packaging industry’s first all-plastic Twin Drum which meets the highly stringent demands of the Packaging Group 1 regulations as specified by the ADR European agency for safe storage and transport of highly aggressive chemicals. The blow molded “tank in a tank,” which requires no secondary container, also meets UN-sanctioned approvals in Europe and U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
“RIKUTEC has developed the highest rated dual-containment drum in the industry,” said Andreas Amberg, President of RIKUTEC America. “This first all-plastic Twin Drum is the next generation of industrial packaging which sets a new benchmark for high purity with the lowest metal and particle content while meeting the highest safety standards.”
The 200-liter Twin Drum effectively stores and transports highly aggressive chemicals in an ultra-clean environment for a range of industrial markets including the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. The unique all-plastic drum delivers numerous advantages over competing metal and plastic-metal drums including corrosion resistance, high pressure resistance, and 100% recyclability. Another advantage is that the Twin Drum can be filled and dispensed by using QC-Dip tubes which prevents any contamination of the contents.
The Twin Drum successfully withstands the 45-degree “on rim” drop test (three times) from 2.8 meters (9.2 ft) and absorbs the impact and energy from falls for the highest safety performance for transport. The Twin Drum is a 320 kPa (46 psi) pressure-rated container for packaging group 1(X) rated high-density materials up to 1.9 kg/dm.
The Twin Drum consists of a two-layer inner drum made of high-purity, totally virgin high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with no additives or stabilizers. The two-layer outer drum is made of UV-stabilized HDPE, providing safe 110% secondary containment. The two tanks are inserted together and a hot plate welder joins the two tanks together with an HDPE cap. All three drum structures are manufactured on RIKUTEC’s patented multilayer coextrusion blow molding machine in a cleanroom environment at the company’s Westerwald, Germany plant. For the industrial packaging market, RIKUTEC provides highly-rated engineering expertise and a range of in-house capabilities at its German site.
The new Twin Drum is commercially available throughout the world. It has been sold to customers in Europe and Asia and was recently launched in the U.S.