Fort Vale’s history in couplings

FOUR-PART HARMONY

COUPLINGS • JONATHAN PARKER, FORT VALE’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, LOOKS BACK AT THE HISTORY OF THE NOW EVER-PRESENT API COUPLER

I’VE JUST RETURNED lfrom a successful and well attended StocExpo 2022 - Rotterdam was buzzing with exhibitors and visitors and it felt great to be back after the enforced solitude of the last two years. The Fort Vale stand was very busy and it was a pleasure to see so many business friends (and competitors!) once again. Taking centre-stage was our (quite literally) evergreen API coupler, attached to a rather impressive Fort Vale loading arm, which got me thinking about our API range, which has been steadily racking up sales and supporters for more than 25 years now.

First developed in 1996, the market-leading Safeload range has been the first choice for many oil majors, and the expanding range of Safeload products for the petroleum transfer industry now includes loading arm systems as well as four different types of couplers.

The Safeload range embodies the Fort Vale culture of quality, design excellence and safety - it’s solid, it’s dependable, and is a regular but unspectacular fixture on the company sales chart but, for the terminal customers that use them, the Safeload API coupler is a prized asset.

Long praised by many oil industry majors for its reliability and robust construction, the coupler ensures that there is only a minimal amount of residual fuel in the poppet void space on disconnection, and protects against any ingress of foreign debris. The amount of liquid loss on disconnection has proven to be, on average, 75 per cent less than the permitted 5 cc. The range now includes loading arm systems and API bottom loading couplers for semi-automatic, manual, high-pressure and green requirements.

GOING GREEN These features are replicated across the range, with the ‘Green’ version sporting an integrated cup to capture product loss at truck disconnect and is available in our semiautomatic 6-bar and 10-bar range, the ‘Manual’ with its new shaft and nut assembly that is even easier to maintain, and the ‘High Pressure’ version with strengthened collar to ensure a robust latch engagement. The unique ‘wrap around’ latches cover more than 60 per cent of the truck adaptor face, improving the security of connection and reducing wear to the adaptor and the coupler, prolonging the life of both components.

Another crucial feature is the materials we use in construction of the unit - the outer housing is hard anodised to BS5599, giving long life and durability, while treated pressurebearing components enhance mechanical strength, especially at low temperatures.

Our decision to introduce the ‘Safeload Green’ has been driven by the knowledge that driver safety can be massively improved simply by minimising the risk of slipping on spilt product while loading. It’s a simple design and easy to maintain with little to go wrong and, like all our products, is made to last.

This kind of ongoing development, coupled with our standard three-year warranty, really does give terminal operators complete peace of mind, especially as emerging countries move from top-loading to bottom-loading systems, which are considerably safer.

All in all (and as far as I am concerned), the Safeload coupler represents what is best about Fort Vale, in that it sums up our core values simply and succinctly - innovative design using the finest tools and the best materials - here’s to the next 25 years! www.fortvale.com

FORT VALE’S SALES TEAM WAS VERY HAPPY TO GET

OUT AGAIN AT LAST MONTH’S STOCEXPO EVENT,