Projects may all be described as “tank cleaning”, but differences in capacity, structure and stored product call for very different equipment configurations. These differences determine how equipment reaches the site, how it is positioned inside the tank and how it covers the cleaning area.
There is no single mechanical cleaning setup that suits every tank. Equipment selection begins with understanding what makes each project different.
01 Tank size changes the equipment strategy
Large tanks and small or medium-sized tanks present different priorities.
For large storage tanks, equipment coordination, pipework layouts and site support are more complex. The emphasis is on coordinating equipment and managing the project schedule.
For small and medium-sized tanks below 10,000 m³, equipment size, access and working space become particularly important. Whether the equipment can enter the tank and be positioned effectively determines whether cleaning can proceed.
Bigger equipment is not necessarily better; suitability for the project matters more.
02 Smaller tanks are not necessarily easier to clean
A lower tank capacity does not automatically reduce project complexity. Tanks below 10,000 m³ may contain petrol, diesel, aviation kerosene, chemicals or crude oil.
Different products leave different deposits, and internal structures vary. Internal floating-roof tanks, in particular, contain floating decks, columns and other obstructions. Equipment access, positioning and cleaning coverage must be considered at the planning stage.
The real question is not simply whether the equipment can clean. It is whether the team can deploy equipment flexibly and complete the work within the site's constraints.
03 Look at site conditions, not just capacity
Two 5,000 m³ tanks can present very different project conditions. One may hold refined petroleum products and another chemicals. One may have a relatively simple interior and another an internal floating roof. Bottom deposits, available working space and the owner's inspection and maintenance requirements may also differ.
Capacity alone is therefore insufficient to define a complete cleaning plan. Equipment configuration must also account for tank type, stored product, internal structure, bottom deposits, available space for deployment and the required schedule.
Mechanical cleaning equipment increasingly needs to be adapted to the project. Rather than starting with a fixed set of equipment and trying to fit it into every job, the process should begin with understanding the project and then selecting the configuration it needs.
04 Why flexibility matters for small and medium-sized tanks
Bulky equipment and complicated site layouts can increase the organisational burden on smaller projects. Compact mechanical cleaning solutions therefore place greater emphasis on actual site conditions.
Tecway's relevant equipment solutions can be deployed through tank manways and configured for the conditions inside, including adaptation to structures such as internal floating roofs.
In subsequent articles, we will examine:
- Why equipment can be brought in through a manway
- How visualised cleaning is achieved
- How the cleaning gun's position can be adjusted
- Why adaptability is particularly important in internal floating-roof tanks
These details all address the same goal: making mechanical cleaning genuinely suited to the site.
05 No universal equipment—only a better fit for the project
The distinction between large and smaller tanks is not simply “large equipment” versus “small equipment”. Different tanks bring different operating conditions and cleaning requirements.
Before a mechanical cleaning project begins, a more useful question than “Can one set of equipment clean every tank?” is “Which equipment and cleaning plan best suit this tank?”
Selecting equipment around actual operating conditions is the key to realising the value of mechanical cleaning. The right tools improve efficiency; the wrong tools can increase the effort required.
Mechanical tank-cleaning equipment rental and cleaning services
Tecway Industrial provides both equipment rental and cleaning services for mechanical tank-cleaning projects.
Equipment rental
For oil tank cleaning companies and engineering service providers, equipment can be configured to suit the tank type, project conditions and cleaning requirements.
Companies with fluctuating project volumes and intermittent equipment needs can select equipment for each project, reducing upfront investment and the burden of long-term idle assets.
Cleaning services
For owners and operators of tank farms at oil depots, refineries, chemical companies and oilfields, Tecway provides mechanical tank-cleaning project services based on tank type, stored product, site conditions and project requirements. Execution and cleaning plans are developed around the actual operating conditions.
About Tecway Industrial
Tecway Industrial System Limited, formerly Tecway International (Petrochemical) Limited, was established in Hong Kong in 1995. Beijing Tecway Xuyang Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. is its subsidiary registered in Beijing.
Tecway Industrial System Limited and Beijing Tecway Xuyang Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. mainly provide services related to importing equipment for oil and gas storage and transportation, petrochemicals and related industries. As consultants and distributors, we carefully select practical, high-quality and cost-effective solutions from reputable suppliers worldwide.