From everyone who’s ever run out of gas half-way through an important barbecue – thank you. From every forklift operator who’s paid extra for keeping a truck driver waiting when the gas ran out during loading/unloading – thank you. And the list goes on. Thank you to Composite for the company's new see-through gas bottle that shows exactly how much gas is left and when it needs replacing or refilling - it's a godsend for every red-faced backyard cook and warehouse worker.
Over the years man has spent many hours, if not years, devising ways to determine how much gas is left a typical steel gas bottle before it runs out. Theories abound, such as throw water on it and see where a line appears, tap it, weigh it first then see how much lighter it is later, roll it around, etc. And let's not discuss how much money is wasted every year on unnecessary refills and exchanges made just in case the gas runs out during an important event or warehouse delivery.
Well, all those parties ruined by the outdoor heater going cold or the barbecue unexpectedly expiring can be avoided. And factories that have lost plenty of time and money when the forklift truck suddenly ground to a halt and no-one could find a spare full bottle to get it going again can rest easy. Scandinavian company Composite has released a range of see-through gas bottles that are also hard to miss because of their colorful covers. The secret is in the materials used to create the gas receptacles.
Each cylinder is built of fiberglass reinforced vinylester, a high performance material with properties Composite says are unsurpassed by any conventional material used in LPG cylinders today.
To begin with, the cylinders are formed by wrapping fiberglass fibers around a mandrel in many directions then saturating the fibers with resin to create both halves of the cylinder. Appropriate holes are drilled in each half and the two halves are bonded together to create a cylinder. The completed cylinders are pressure-tested for safety.
The process produces a lightweight cylinder (around 50 percent less than traditional steel LPG cylinders) that is easier to handle and transport, is transparent, provides excellent visibility of its contents and is cost-efficient, according to Composite. In addition, the material is strong, durable and corrosion-free.
The cylinders come in a variety of models and sizes. The trendy Passion, designed with consumers in mind, is available in two models, the Passion 8 and 10. Passion 10 holds 10.3kg (22.7lb) of propane or 12.5kg (27.5lb) of butane. It measures 570mm high x 310mm diameter (22.4 inch x 12.2 inch) and weighs 7.5kg (16.5lb) empty.
The Compolite targets the industrial/commercial market and comes in four sizes: the 5, 6, 10 and 13 (numbers corresponding to their empty weight in kgs).
The FLT cylinder has been specifically designed for forklift truck applications.
There are also a number of colors to enable companies to match bottles to corporate logos, etc.
The LPG cylinders are designed to fulfill requirements in all existing international standards, such as EN 12245, EN 14427 or ISO 11119-3. Check on the Composite website for details of which countries the products are approved in and availability.
Now you have no more excuses for running out of gas and ruining that beaut barbecue or demanding delivery.