Safe Disposal of Old Gas Cylinders with Hydraulic Punch Set

Leading NSW-based gas company SupaGas has found that the safest and most efficient way to do this is with the assistance of Enerpac hydraulic tools, supplied through NSW Authorised distributor South West Hydraulics.

SupaGas uses an Enerpac RC single-acting cylinder with a lathe dead centre permanently fixed onto the standard Enerpac threaded saddle, powered by an XA-Series Xvari foot pump.
The RC cylinder, designed for high strength and durability, accurately and efficiently punctures a hole in the gas cylinder, rendering it unusable and safe to be recycled or otherwise disposed of. The Xvari foot pump used to power the cylinder is twice as fast as conventional pumps, adding a new level of efficiency to operations.
"The Enerpac tools are the most reliable and efficient that we’ve used," says Mr Sam Priestly, Technical Engineer, SupaGas. "We tried a cheap workshop press once, but it lasted about two days. Some of our similar Enerpac gear is still going after more than ten years," he said.

"After our press broke, we had to temporarily use a pickaxe to puncture the cylinders, which was terrible for safety and efficiency. Not only did the manual force lead to strains on workers, but the fast motion greatly increased the risk of sparking. The controlled motion of the Enerpac tools dramatically decreased the risk of sparking, and gives us a much safer work environment overall," he said.

"The other major advantage of the Enerpac tools is the speed. Our guys find it easy to use and they can get through a lot more cylinders than the old presses," said Mr Priestly. "SupaGas literally punctures hundreds of these a day using the Enerpac equipment."

South West Hydraulics Managing Director Dave Clifford says that it’s always satisfying to provide solutions to local companies looking for better safety, efficiency and reliability. "SupaGas places a high importance on their customer service, which is something we can relate to," he said.