One Voice Blog

Thanks to its 135-year track record of innovation in the fuel-handling and storage markets, OPW has accumulated an inordinate amount of experience and know-how as it pertains to the buildout of fueling infrastructures. Combining that experience and expertise with that of Acme and RegO perfectly positions OPW Clean Energy Solutions to be a major player in the growing clean-energy products market with the tacit acknowledgement that these fuels that are currently known as “alternative” may one day in the not-too-distant future be regarded as “primary.”

Recognizing that butadiene is both a substance that should be handled with care and an indispensable link in the global manufacturing supply chain, OPW, through its OPW Engineered Systems product brand, has developed a full range of solutions that are specifically designed to meet and overcome the challenges that are inherent in butadiene handling.

LPG is a highly flammable substance that must be kept in its liquid state during transport to ensure proper delivery performance. No matter how it is transported, in its liquid form LPG constantly struggles to return to a gaseous state, meaning it can never be allowed to lose pressure and expand, which requires that the proper equipment and care be used in its handling and transfer.

When you’re operating in industries that are governed by an evolving roster of regulations and certifications, education is paramount to help ensure success. To that end, OPW has created OPW University, which has been designed to help its customers stay informed on the latest products and systems, along with the federal, state and local regulations that govern their purchases, installations and operations.

Making manhole covers lighter and easier to handle has been the driving force for Fibrelite ever since Mike Jennings and Trevor Pardoe saw forecourt operators struggling to install and remove heavy and ergonomically unfriendly metal access covers over UST sumps. Today, all Fibrelite manhole products are designed to reduce lifting hazards and risks on the forecourt, helping to prevent trapped fingers and back injuries.

The Cube™ Car Wash System, a three-brush soft-touch in-bay automatic rollover system, provides a gentler, quieter wash to put customers at ease. The ultimate result is that vehicle wash owners can choose an innovative, reliable, high-quality way to deliver an improved vehicle wash experience to their customers.

To combat the less-than-desirable issues that some fueling nozzles can create, OPW Retail Fueling has succeeded in creating a cleaner, greener fueling experience through the development of its 14 Series family of dripless nozzles.

As the number of annual railcar shipments the United States continues to increase, optimizing safety during those shipments also gains in importance. Recognizing this, OPW’s Midland Manufacturing continues to develop innovative components focused on the uneventful arrival of commodities.

It's a natural reaction for humans when they've completed a task or project to allow themselves a few moments to sit back, take a deep breath, reflect on their efforts and even apply a self-congratulatory pat on the back for a job well done.

Midland is dedicated to developing standard-setting valve and level-measurement device technology, and the new Top Transfer Ball Valve is the next part of this commitment.

Car wash operators no longer have to choose between the two prevalent wash technologies. Belanger has developed a new system that delivers the best of friction and touchless wash systems – a soft touch in-bay automatic wash system.

At a retail fueling site, the weakest point is oftentimes the infrastructure connections that link together the site’s fuel storage and dispensing systems. Whether the piping, tank sumps, dispensers, hoses, valves, multiports, spill containers, couplings and test boots are snapped, screwed or welded together, connection points are generally the first places where leak points potentially develop.

When paired together, the A-719-ML/A-190 Dual Valve System helps to provide protection against the release of railcar contents in the event of a roll-over accident. Should a railcar roll-over accident occur, the angle valve is designed to shear off, and the check valve becomes the primary seal, halting product flow.

Knowing the stress that fuel transport fleets and their drivers can be put under to meet strict delivery schedules, while also ensuring that the right fuel and amount goes into the right tank 100% of the time, Civacon has developed the new CivaCommand Smart Tank System.

The domestic fuel supply chain in the U.S. has never been more robust, but the growth in fuel volumes and formulations have created challenges related to supply. OPW Engineered Systems and Civacon have recognized and responded to these challenges through the creation of equipment and systems that can help keep the country’s fuel supply chain operating effectively.

Optimizing the performance, protection and safety of fueling, electrical and sewage access systems that are buried underground requires a balancing act. They must stand up to the daily wear and tear of foot and vehicle traffic, heat and rain in the summer and cold, snow, salt and snowplows in the winter, shifting ground and seismic events, with water intrusion a threat at all times. At the same time, they must allow easy access so that they can be reliably serviced, maintained, monitored and repaired.

It may be patently obvious, but it’s worth bearing in mind – water is the lifeblood of the vehicle-wash industry. Without its ready availability, professional washes would cease to function. That’s why savvy wash operators know that they must treat their most precious resource with as much tender loving care as a conscientious car owner lavishes on a vehicle.

It’s an unavoidable fact of railroad life that at some point, most unit trains – which can be 100 cars or longer – will pass through a heavily populated urban area while laden with dangerous or hazardous materials. While accidents that result in catastrophic leaks or spills of hazardous materials are extremely rare – and becoming even rarer, according to industry analysts – a rollover incident that occurs in an urban, population-dense area has the potential to adversely affect a large number of people.

Tunnel washes continue to forge ahead and have made a comfortable home for themselves in the vehicle-wash universe. Since 1969, Belanger, Inc., has been a leader in developing innovative tunnel-wash designs that are able to deliver a better wash experience for the customer and the highest level of reliability, durability and serviceability for the operator.

At first glance, fueling systems at retail fueling sites appear to be nothing more than rough-and-tumble setups – a big hole is dug in which a long tube is buried before a heavy-duty pump pushes the fuel through the dispenser nozzle and into a customer’s vehicle. In reality, they are delicate ecosystems in which a number of finely tuned parts need to function in harmony to consistently produce the desired result.