Luxfur Tanks - What is the manufactured date?

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polar21

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Gents,
Can you tell me when these tanks were manufactured and if the dive shops will still fill them?

Tank 1 - 3ALM207 M8201 DOT - 3AL3000 SJ4196 Luxfer - 70980 S80

Tank 2 - 3ALM207 DOT - 3AL3000 P376669 Luxfer - 09A98 S80

Tank 3 - 3ALM207 M8201 DOT - 3AL3000 SJ4498 LUXFER - 70980 S80
 
#2 looks like september '98. unless it's got a newer hydro stamp on it, shops won't (or shouldn't) fill it... not sure about the other two.
 
Can you post pictures? I'm not sure you've transcribed it correctly.
 
Crap, I hate when I type out a reply and hit the wrong button!

I cant post pics because I am trying to purchase these tanks. This is the information that the seller sent me.

I thought if the tanks were manu'd after 1990ish that they were good to go?
 
It was made in 98. What he's saying is, if it doesn't have a hydro since that time, it shouldn't be filled.
 
All three tanks have been VIP and hydro'd in 2001. Does that make a difference?
 
they still need new hydro. hydro is supposed to be done every 5 years (at least in north america), so any tank with a hydro date earlier than 11/2007 shouldn't be filled. Or for arguments sake, anything before 2008, since 11/07 and 12/07 tanks are due for a new test.
 
10-4 on the hydro. My main question was could these tanks be brought back in to useable condition (ie, dive shop would fill them if they had all inspections done)
 
#2, no problem. the other 2, I don't know... some shops won't fill tanks over 20 years old, even if they've got current hydro, but that assumes they understand the date stamped on it, which i don't.
 
Recheck the numbers on tanks 1 and 2. In July 1982 the DOT grandfathered various special permit aluminum tanks into the "3AL" standard and the special permit numbers SP6498, E6498, E7042, E836 , and E8422 were supposed to be stamped "3AL" at their next re-qualification (commonly referred to as the "hydro test"). Normally, I'd suggest that the "70980" is instead 7xx80 with the "xx" being the stamp for the independent testing company that did the initial qualification of the tank being mis read as "09", thus suggesting an initial qualification date of July 1980. However, the fact that your tanks are factory stamped 3AL indicates they were made after July 1982, creating an inconsistency in the dates.

Luxfer tanks made in the US after 1993 tend to be dual marked DOT/TC to allow fills in Canada as well (with tanks just "DOT" marked prior to 1993 grandfathered in in Canada). The tanks are DOT approved but not TC dual marked so tank 2, made in September 1998, was most likely made outside the US, and the M8201 on tanks 1 and 3 also suggests that while DOT approved, they were probably manufactured outside the US.

So, recheck all the numbers on tanks 1 and 3 and include any subsequent hydro test stamps. If DOT approved
there should be an initial qualification stamp with an AABCC format with AA being the two digit month code, B being the stamped of the initial tank inspection firm and the CC being the two digit year code. On tank 2, the "09A98 denotes September 1998 with the initial qualification done by Authorized Testing as there stamp is a stylized "A" with an arrow in it.

Luxfer S80 tanks made prior to January 1988 were made from 6351-T6 alloy rather than 6061-T6 alloy and are prone to sustained load cracking. As such, they are subject to an additional eddy current inspection at each requalification and will be stamped "VE" to indicate they past the additional test. The scuba industry standard is to conduct an eddy current/visual plus inspection each year as part of the VIP, and since the eddy current protocols have been implemented over 11 years ago, there have been no catastrophic failures of 6351-T6 tanks due to sustained load cracks. However paranoia still runs high among dive shops and it can be hard to get any aluminum tank made before the (largely arbitrary) date of 1990 filled.
 

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