From Point A to Point B

The early days of gas transport were a far cry from what many of us know today. In the 18th century, when gases were first being studied in laboratory settings, animal bladders would be used to collect and carry them. It wasn't until 1886 that the manufacture of the first gas cylinders allowed transport to occur in a safer, more efficient way.

As cylinders became the ubiquitous method for storage, delivery methods also evolved. Distributors could now fill a cylinder with gas, load it onto a delivery truck and take it to the customer site. When the cylinder was empty again, the customer returned it to the distributor for a refill. This method got the job done, but it was labor-intensive and time-consuming. This method also created pricing problems. In the early days of NWSA, determining the correct way to charge customers for cylinder usage was a constant battle. During the mid-1960s, distributors charged demurrage on cylinders, a complicated fee that went into effect after 30 days. In 1965, demurrage was eliminated and replaced by cylinder rental, a philosophical shift that many distributors did not agree with.

In the late 1960s, a cylinder palletizing system was created by Weldcoa. This invention revolutionized cylinder transport by efficiently combining storage, security and filling capabilities. As the years went by, the cylinder pallet was perfected with an inverted modular filling system, mechanisms to lock the cylinders in place and a gas pack.

The cylinder pallet enabled companies to move large quantities of cylinders. For transporting large bulk amounts, trucks capable of hauling several hundred gallons of material have taken over as the preferred method in recent years.

For smaller amounts, microbulk delivery has become the way to go. Beginning about 20 years ago, microbulk delivery gained prominence in the food and beverage industry. At that time, carbon dioxide cylinders were the only option for carbonation. Companies began installing small bulk tanks at their locations, paving the way for the advent of microbulk delivery. Smaller bulk trucks could access these tanks, even in tight delivery areas or places with high population. This new method drastically reduced the amount of cylinder handling and wasted gas, and rapidly grew in popularity throughout the food and beverage industry.

To expedite the growth of microbulk delivery, manufacturers introduced storage containers specifically for atmospheric gases, rather than just carbon dioxide. Before long, the success in the food and beverage industry soon transferred to users of industrial gases, who viewed microbulk as a sensible substitute to cylinder delivery. Microbulk delivery became commonplace in a wide array of industries, including metallurgy, health care and laboratory science.

Advancements in cylinder technology continue to drive transportation changes. For instance, lightweight cylinders reduce the weight of truck loads, thereby reducing costs without sacrificing pressurizing capabilities. New, higher capacity bulk acetylene trailers can transport around 100,000 cubic feet of acetylene. The trailers can store between 200 and 225 large size cylinders, each holding about 450 cubic feet of acetylene.

Government regulation of hazardous materials transport has impacted the industry throughout its history, and likely will continue to do so. How the industry responds to these changes, as well as those of a technological nature, will determine the future of product transport.