AbecoTanks has invested several million in a state-of-the-art automated powder coating line which is now operational at its manufacturing plant in Johannesburg, South Africa. “Although unanimously an essential aspect of our future buildings and industry, water tanks remain a life-saving eyesore,” says Abeco Tanks COO, Mannie Ramos Jnr.
Over the last few years, the company began the process of researching and developing a high-quality solution together with experts and equipment providers from Europe, America, Germany, and South Africa, resulting in its own in-house plant. The tanks are still manufactured in Abeco’s manufacturing facility using high quality steel and precision technology, whereafter they go into the powder coating facility.
The automated process has many stages which ensures corrosion protection on panels is long lasting, and is up to par in quality with other coating protection. From cleaning, shotblasting, primer, heating, top coat, heating, and cooldown, the process is automated and operated by well-trained employees to ensure a high-quality product.
“It is important that the coating must be applied correctly, and our R&D included rigorous testing to ensure the tank is suitable for drinking water and the external coat can withstand harsh UV conditions,” adds Mannie. “A welded tank needs to be coated every five years, however our powder coated tanks have a 30 + year’s life span.”
There are many advantages of powder coating including the use of aesthetically appealing colours – the powder coating can even be matched to a company’s corporate colours – and stickers can now be placed on tanks for advertising purposes, which was not possible with traditional steel tanks.
In addition, Mannie says that because the powder coating can be done locally, lead times are quicker due to faster production, and costs are reduced because there are no shipping fees or exchange rate issues.
Abeco’s powder coating line also opens up the storage market to include wastewater, digesters, mining water, fire tanks and more, and it can be used for dry storage. The company operates locally and in the Middle East, Central America, Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar and the African continent at large.
