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Ergonomics, safety and control of loading operations

A leading Italian agro-industrial company specializing in the refining of vegetable oils and fats turned to Silea Liquid Transfer to optimize margarine loading operations at one of its loading bays.

As a long-standing Silea customer, the company was looking for a solution capable of overcoming several operational limitations associated with the existing system. The current setup consisted of a semi-rigid hose with a single rotation axis which, while allowing product transfer into road tankers, presented significant constraints in terms of ergonomics and operational flexibility.
In particular, positioning the loading nozzle proved challenging for drivers, and the system configuration did not allow the hose to be easily adjusted to accommodate the different heights of incoming tankers.
In addition, the customer wanted to improve the efficiency of the entire loading process by enabling operators to manage all transfer operations directly from the loading point, without requiring support from a second operator on the ground.

On-site assessment and solution design

As with every custom project, the process began with a technical site survey at the customer's facility. The objective was to thoroughly assess the loading bay configuration,
collect all necessary measurements, and gain a clear understanding of both current operating procedures and the customer's expectations for the new loading arm.

Based on the information gathered, Silea's engineering team designed a solution specifically tailored to the application: a stainless-steel loading arm equipped with white PTFE seals, fully suitable for food-grade product transfer.
The loading arm was fitted with a 2-inch pipeline, carefully sized to ensure maximum operational flexibility and accommodate the different tanker configurations accessing the facility.
To further simplify handling operations, the system was equipped with a pneumatic lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the arm support structure, significantly improving
ergonomics and ease of use.

An integrated control system directly at the loading point

One of the project's key requirements was the centralization of operational controls. The customer wanted all loading related activities to be managed directly from the operator station located on top of the tanker, eliminating the need for movements and coordination with personnel on the ground.

To meet this requirement, Silea developed, in collaboration with its partners, a hybrid pneumatic-electric solution integrating all necessary controls into a single control panel.
This configuration was implemented in full compliance with the certifications required for this specific application, which operates in a non-ATEX classified area.

Operators can directly manage:

• Loading arm movement;
• Start-up of the product transfer pump;
• Pump shutdown at the end of the loading cycle;
• Purging and cleaning operations of the loading arm after each transfer cycle.

This configuration simplifies the overall process, improves operational safety, and increases operator autonomy.

The result: a more efficient and high-performing loading system

The project successfully achieved all objectives defined during the design phase. Thanks to the new custom engineered loading arm, the customer now benefits from a
more flexible solution capable of accommodating different tanker types while significantly improving operational ergonomics.
The integration of all controls into a single operating station has also streamlined process management, reducing operating times and increasing the overall efficiency of the
loading bay.

The system is currently fully operational, and the customer has expressed complete satisfaction with the results achieved, once again confirming the value of a design
approach based on understanding application-specific requirements and delivering truly tailor-made solutions.