Rectangular manways

Stainless steel rectangular manways – general information

Rectangular manways are highly popular equipment for numerous stainless steel or concrete tanks, as well as silos and many other industrial installations. Their popularity is supported by a wide range of models, among which there are both small inspection manways (with the length of sides up to 300 mm) and large stainless steel manway doors (with the length of sides up to 2000 mm).

Rectangular manways - types

Among the rectangular manways, two basic groups can be distinguished, based on the length of individual sides of the manway:

vertical rectangular manways,
horizontal rectangular manways.

The use of a manway from one group or the other is usually based solely on the individual preference of the designer of the equipment in which the manway is to be installed.

The vast majority of rectangular manways open outward, but individual models are also available with the lid opening toward the inside of the tank. The manway is usually opened with handwheels (number depends on the model) located on a special arm connected to the hinge. An alternative opening option for rectangular manways is a gate (a design in which the manway lid is lifted by a specially adapted mechanism). Manways of this type are often referred to as "guillotine type manways”.

Pressure resistance of rectangular manways

Rectangular manways, due to their design and most often outward opening lid, are a category of manways with relatively low overall pressure resistance level.

The pressure resistance of rectangular manways is usually in the range of 0.5-2.5 bar. This makes them ideal as side inspection doors for most small and medium capacity tanks, silos and some process equipment with relatively low operating pressures (around 1.5 bar).

Among the rectangular manways there are also non-pressure models (with a general resistance up to max. 0.5 bar). These are designs suitable for installation in the top of tanks (usually as an alternative to standard stainless steel round lids).

Versatility of installation of rectangular manways

Rectangular manways - versatility of installation

The rectangular manway category includes models with a variety of mounting options. This means that rectangular manways are a very versatile product group. Depending on the design and version, they can be installed in many types of tanks and silos.

Mounting options include rectangular manways:

for stainless steel tanks and containers,
for barrels (wooden tanks),
for concrete/cement tanks,
for plastic tanks (polypropylene, fiberglass).

Rectangular manway designs very often allow their structure to be customised to meet individual design needs, already at the stage of technical arrangements.

Application of rectangular manways

Stainless steel rectangular manways are typically used as the main inspection element, installed in the side shell of a tank or silo. This makes rectangular manways suitable for a wide variety of areas. In the area of the food industry, these will include:

fruit and vegetable processing,
milk and dairy processing plants,
warehouses and processing plants for bulk materials (e.g. cereal grains),
alcohol production (in particular – wine).

However, the use of rectangular manways is not limited to the food industry, but goes much further. Rectangular manways in the proper configuration are also ideal for other industrial applications. Thus, they are used:

in various process vessels in the chemical and biotechnological industry,
in process water tanks,
in industrial washers,
in chambers and dryers,
in silos for plastic granulates,
in civil engineering and hydraulic structures.

Extra large rectangular manways are the answer to the specific needs of technical, service and maintenance personnel. Often the activity of these services involves working in the confined environment of tanks, chambers, pipelines and similar spaces. Manways are installed in all such areas to provide safe access to the interior. The dimensions of such manways are based on the requirements in EN 547-1 (Part 1: Principles for determining the dimensions of openings for whole-body access to machinery). As a result, such manways have an opening that an adult of average body build can easily pass through. They are usually not smaller than 600×450 mm.

Parameters

Stainless steel rectangular manways – general information

Rectangular manways - types

Pressure resistance of rectangular manways

Versatility of installation of rectangular manways

Application of rectangular manways