PORT ELIZABETH – based Welfit Oddy has been awarded one of the largest single container orders ever placed. The order for 2000 ISO tank containers was placed through Burg Intermodal by deep-sea tank operator Hoyer-Odfjell. Welfit Oddy is a subsidiary of Burg International. The highly flexible contract allows Hoyer-Odfjell to vary the capacity of the tanks between 21 000 and 26 000 litres according to requirements, with an "open ended" delivery schedule that will be dictated by marker demand. Welfit Oddy says the order represents not more than 28 percent of its anticipated annual output and that sufficient capacity will remain for all existing customers, as well as potential new customers currently being quoted. This new order results from the successful operation of 400 tanks ordered from Burg Intermodal in January 2002. To secure the initial order, Welfit Oddy had to incorporate the well know Hoyer-Odfjell frame design to meet Hoyer-Odfjell`s requirements for fleet uniformity. The new design, hitherto built primarily by Van Hool in Belguim, successfully passed all statutory dynamic and static tests and in addition was subjected to Welfit Oddy`s rigorous fatigue testing programme. Welfit Oddy`s ability to secure the Hoyer-Odfjell order is attributed in part to a decision taken five months ago by parent company Burg Industries to make significant additional investment in the company’s Port Elizabeth plant. The new investment included building extensions, new semi-automatic circ welders, a new dished end press, a new seam welder and a new four-roll double pinch roller. The seam welder and pinch roller have a 7m capacity, which means that Welfit Oddy is the first tank builder able to build all sizes of swap tanks of up to 35 000Litres capacity in one length of stainless steel sheet, without the need for additional circumferential welds.