Alfa Laval Toftejorg TZ-68 Portable Tank Cleaning Machine

Alfa Laval / Toftejorg TZ-68 Portable Tank Cleaning Machine

The Alfa Laval Toftejorg TZ-68 is a media-driven rotary jet head engineered for demanding 3D impact cleaning in cargo holds, marine product/chemical storage tanks, river barges, and shoreside processing vessels. Operating entirely on fluid kinetics via an integrated internal drive turbine and epicyclic gear train, the TZ-68 requires zero external electrical or pneumatic supply lines.

As wash fluid enters the top connection, it drives an axial impeller before passing down through the stem and discharging across two opposing, stream-straightened nozzles. The mechanical geartrain indexes nozzle rotation simultaneously across both horizontal and vertical axes. Over an 8-cycle geartrain pattern, the jets sweep the vessel in an indexed spherical grid, dislodging non-drying oils, high-viscosity residues, heavy chemical distillates, and sludges where static spray balls fail. Designed primarily for portable deployment with wash hose saddles and deck-flange winches, the TZ-68 combines portable handling (approx. 6.5 kg to 13 kg depending on bronze or 316L metallurgy) with up to 15+ meters of effective cleaning throw radius.

Model Details

• Manufacturer: Alfa Laval / Gunclean Toftejorg
• Base Model Series: TZ-68 Rotary Jet Head (Portable Series)
• Standard MPN / Part Numbers:
  • TE21B0XX-XX (Base Unit configured by nozzle and connection size)
  • TE21B060 (Standard Bronze Marine Configuration, 2″ BSP/NPT)
  • TE21B062 (Stainless Steel 316L Chemical Carrier Configuration)
  • TE81B060 (Complete Marine Overhaul Kit / Tool Kit Set for TZ-68/TZ-82)
• Drive Mechanism: Reaction turbine driven, media-lubricated internal gear mechanism
• Nozzle Options: Dual-nozzle carrier configuration with nozzle bores ranging from ø6.0 mm, ø7.0 mm, ø8.0 mm, up to ø10.0 mm

Features

1. Indexed 3D Spherical Cleaning Pattern: Internal bevel gearing indices rotation over horizontal and vertical planes, providing a crisscross 360° wash mesh that reaches 100% surface coverage over an 8-cycle program.
2. 100% Fluid-Driven & Media-Lubricated: Eliminates grease nipples and external oil reservoirs; uses the wash medium (seawater, freshwater, or tank wash detergents) for internal bearing lubrication and gearbox heat dissipation.
3. High-Impact Throw Length: Specialized internal stream straighteners focus fluid velocity into solid-core jets, ensuring impact force up to a 12–16 m throw distance without spray dissipation.
4. Heavy-Duty Bronze or 316L Marine Metallurgy: Built to withstand abrasive slurry residues, caustic tank wash chemicals, seawater flushing, and thermal cycling up to 95°C continuous operation.
5. Anti-Clog Hydrodynamic Turbine: Axial-flow turbine with removable guide housing ensures reliable startup at differential pressures as low as 3 bar (44 psi) while tolerating small suspended solids.

Applications

• Chemical & Product Tankers: Removal of non-drying vegetable oils, monomer films, bio-fuels, alcohols, caustic soda films, and petrochemical fractions during wall-wash grade changeovers.
• Crude Oil Tankers (COW Operations): Portable spot washing and shadow-sector descaling of cargo tanks to prevent wax deposition and petroleum sludge accumulation.
• Offshore Drilling Rigs & Supply Vessels (OSVs): Heavy-duty washdown of liquid mud tanks, drill cutting collection pits, brine storage cells, and dry-bulk pneumatic silos.
• Road Tankers & Rail Car Washing: Automated interior jetting of 30,000 to 60,000-liter transit tanks carrying liquid food products, glues, paints, raw resins, and bulk industrial surfactants.
• Industrial Mixing & Storage Vessels: Cleaning resin reactors, brewing storage tanks, batch chemical blenders, and pharmaceutical bulk powder silos where manual wash intervention is prohibited.

Compatibility

• Hose Systems: 2″ Heavy-Duty Nitrile/EPDM or Neoprene Rubber Tank Washing Hose with bonded brass or stainless steel internal grounding wire and clamped 2″ BSP/NPT or Camlock couplings.
• Deployment Hardware: Standard marine Butterworth Deck Saddles (fits standard deck opening diameters: 150 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm / 6″, 8″, 12″), manual hose-reel winches, and lowering tripod brackets.
• Supply Pumps: Multistage centrifugal wash pumps, marine deck wash pumps, or air-driven double-diaphragm (AODD) pump packages delivering a clean 5.5 to 18 m³/h at minimum 6 bar line pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes an Alfa Laval Toftejorg TZ-68 machine to stop rotating during a wash cycle?

The most frequent cause is particulate contamination lodged in the inlet guide turbine or gear carrier. Solid particles larger than 0.5 mm that pass through failed suction strainers can jam the primary drive turbine or lock the planetary gear train. Other causes include excessive system backpressure, inadequate fluid flow (operating below the 5.0 bar threshold), or worn internal carbon-PTFE guide bushings that bind under lateral load.

How do I adjust the wash cycle time on the TZ-68?

The full cycle time (the time required to complete the complete helical coverage pattern) is fixed mechanically by internal gearing ratios, but varies dynamically based on supply pressure and nozzle diameter. Increasing line pressure from 5 bar to 9 bar raises turbine velocity, shortening complete 360° indexing from roughly 35 minutes down to 18–20 minutes. Select appropriate nozzle bore inserts (5.5 mm up to 7.0 mm) based on your wash pump’s pressure-to-flow performance curve.

Can the Toftejorg TZ-68 be used for open-air cleaning without being submerged inside a tank?

No. The high jet-impingement force (up to 13-meter throw length) and planetary rotation mechanics require an enclosed vessel or tank environment. Operating in open air causes high-velocity spray dispersion hazards and does not provide proper kinetic drainage, which can lead to thermal and dry-bearing run stresses on the unit’s internal sliding contact rings.

What is the service interval for changing wear parts on the TZ-68?

Under standard marine chemical cleaning duty cycles (ambient seawater, caustic wash, fresh rinse), a full teardown and inspection is recommended every 200 to 300 operational running hours. The minor seal kit (TE20C902) should be installed annually, while the major planetary gearbox rebuild kit (TE20C901) should be replaced every 600 running hours or whenever internal gear backlash exceeds 3 mm of radial travel on the nozzle head.

Is the TZ-68 compatible with crude oil washing (COW) media?

Yes. The wetted parts—316L stainless steel, carbon-reinforced PTFE, and industrial ceramics—are resistant to sour crude, aromatics, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and common shipboard tank cleaning chemicals (e.g., emulsifiers, diluted phosphoric and nitric acids, caustic soda solutions up to 4%). Ensure cleaning temperatures do not exceed the continuous liquid threshold rating of 95°C (203°F).