We’ve had a lot of enquiries about our top and bottom loading arm solutions recently, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to showcase the range and answer some of the most common questions. We sat down with Technical Director Greg Clarke for a Loading Arms Q&A and a closer look at the products, applications and industries they serve.
How long have IFC been selling loading arms?
These solutions have been part of IFC’s offering since the very start. My father Michael Clarke founded the company in 1987 and immediately established a relationship with Italian Loading Arm manufacturer Silea, a relationship that still stands true today.
How many are in IFC’s range?
We have grown our range over the years to keep up with demand and customer requirements. We have 9 standard loading arms, all fully customisable with a number of options and accessories available.
What types of loading arms does IFC offer?
4 top loading arms and 5 bottom loading arms make up our range, suitable for a wide variety of applications. We offer arms with variable reach where the loading point may change, fixed reach models for rail applications, and supported boom arms where additional equipment such as a vapour recovery cone is required. Ultimately, the best solution depends on the customer’s specific requirements, and we’re very proud to have developed such a range where we can deliver on any and all customer requirements.
What are the different applications for these systems?
Where to start? Of course we have petroleum and petrochemical road loading. Then there’s bulk rail discharge as well as passenger train and diesel locomotive bunkering. We also work with marine, mine and quarry bunkering. There have been too many applications to count over the years.
What about industries?
Again, we have worked with so many at this point and developed such a wide bank of knowledge across a number of industries. It all started with the Fuel Industry but since then we have worked a lot with the Chemical & Solvents Industry, Food & Beverage, Breweries & Distilleries, Hot Products, Water and Slurry, the list goes on.
How can someone place an order for an IFC Loading Arm?
People will make an enquiry often by email, over the phone or by filling out our website enquiry form. We have a fantastic team who are ready to help, so once they have been filled in on requirements, they can take it from there and advise on what the best solution would be and the options that are available. We also offer free site surveys so we can arrange for a member of the team to come out to site and outline key considerations.