PetrolPlaza Russia Special - TATSUNO RUS Director discusses company's products

The Russian company TATSUNO RUS, manufacturer of fuel dispenser equipment as well as measuring and control systems for modern filling stations, is celebrating its 19th birthday in 2016. The director of the company Victor Gordov writes about the company’s past and present products.

The first fuel dispensers equipped with the TATSUNO hydraulic elements, which appeared on the Russian market in 1995, were manufactured by the Czech company BENČ. These were low-cost ВМР 500 JUNIOR fuel dispensers and multi-product fuel dispensers of the series ВМР 1000 STANDARD with separate modules, which were supplied from the Czech Republic to Russia in the amount of 199 units. The TATSUNO RUS company started up the independent complete knock down assembly of these fuel dispensers according to the Russian technical requirements at the company production facilities in Ryazan in 1997 and continued this work until 2003.

In 1998 along our company launched its own production line of L-type fuel dispensers of the series ВМР 2000 EUROLINE, which were fully adapted for use under all operating conditions across the country. This was premium sophisticated equipment which was distinct from the previous model lines in a new state-of-the-art design with separate modules of hose and hydraulics winch units, frame facing made of stainless steel and above all a brand new PDE electronic system. Based on this model, which immediately gained huge popularity among our customers, the portal fuel dispensers of the PIANO type with a free hose suspension were designed.

The Russian technical standards are more stringent and rigorous when compared to those of Europe due to the special climate conditions, unstable power supply networks, fluctuating fuel quality and, most importantly, special requirements to the issue, recording and control over the oil product traffic.

The adaptability of the new fuel dispensers to the unfavorable operating conditions and the strength of the TATSUNO hydraulic elements have become the undeniable advantages of this equipment among our customers.

Since 2004, TATSUNO RUS has been supplying gas dispensers of the BMP 500 LPG series to the Russian market, which have been in strong demand first and foremost due to their high reliability and the high precision of the TATSUNO flow meter that just in the same way as in the petrol version surpasses its counterparts by other manufacturers in all specifications.

Our Czech colleagues developed the SHARK dispenser in 2005. These fuel dispensers had an innovative design characterized by the body kit and decorative elements made of composite material. It was this model that became the hallmark of the TATSUNO RUS equipment characterized by its unfailing reliability and high precision, as well as distinctive and recognizable design. There were two main versions of the new fuel dispensers which differed in their outside appearance operability and functionality, but had the same technical specifications. These were the EUROLINE model with the hose return feature and the economy VECTOR model with the free hose suspension.

In 2006-2009 a huge amount of the SHARK fuel dispensers were manufactured and sold across Russia. These dispensers have become a familiar and irreplaceable visual element of the roadside service facilities in many regions of the country. A number of well-known autofilling complexes have used the recognizable features of the fins of the “TATSUNO SHARK” in their design.

In line with our well-established tradition of changing the product line every five years we launched the manufacture of the BMP 2000 OCEAN fuel dispensers in 2011. This equipment complies with all the latest trends of the fuel dispenser market. The multi product fuel dispensers of the OCEAN series, which were partly modernized in 2015, account today for more than 75% of the TATSUNO RUS total production volume.

The new product range has preserved and improved the best performing features of the previous dispenser series and boasts an extended option set. The new model range is equipped with a high-quality suction hydraulic system TATSUNO and a submersible pump system. The fuel dispensers can be provided with an effective vapour recovery option and an accelerated fuel flow rate ranging from 80 to 130 L/min. The new model line is characterized by a modern, stylish and recognizable design, while the customer can enjoy the opportunity of creating a unique appearance of the fuel dispenser by choosing from three different types of the decorative elements.

The new fuel dispenser has become substantially more resistant to “demolition”, which was made possible due to a special design of the housing made of 2 mm thick metal, and owing to the use of the stainless elements of the frame facing for basic models.

The premium version of the OCEAN fuel dispenser is provided with a new mechanism of the discharge hose recovery which is notable for reliable operation at low temperatures and ensures a maximum possible filling distance. This solution was elaborated by the engineers of the European division of the TATSUNO Corporation. The new dispensers allow not only for the trouble-free fueling of a car with a fuel filler on the opposite side of the body, but also for the fueling of a vehicle standing in the second row away from the pump island.

The production programme of the company also includes the fuel dispensers of the series ВМР 2000 STANDART which in addition to all technical and operational features of the premium fuel dispensers are also characterized by a compact size and a reasonable price. This equipment is best suited for medium-sized refurbished, container and institutional filling stations operated by automobile companies, as well as for filling stations of agricultural enterprises.

From the very start-up until today TATSUNO RUS has been consistently fulfilling the main requirement of its customers, and namely high reliability and quality combined with reasonable pricing. On this count TATSUNO RUS has long smashed all records, functioning through its whole existence without a single complaint.

For almost 19 years of its operation TATSUNO RUS has produced about 17 000 fuel dispensers. In practice the average service life of the TATSUNO RUS fuel dispensers considerably exceeds the 12 year operational life specified in the technical data sheet. Thus, no secondary market of this equipment has appeared in Russia so far. One can safely state that the absolute majority of the TATSUNO RUS fuel dispensers produced since 1997 have been operated at filling stations up to the present day. Many filling station networks are using effectively both the latest TATSUNO RUS equipment and the fuel dispensers that were manufactured in the 20th century and have preserved their main technical specifications until now.

A comprehensive approach enables the TATSUNO RUS products to meet the highest requirements of the TATSUNO Corporation under all conditions. These requirements are as follows:

High quality and production control;
Twenty-four-hour technical maintenance of the dispenser operation, beginning from the first minute of the start-up;
Assured day-and-night feedback from the trained personnel, servicing the fuel dispensers.

All customers of TATSUNO RUS are pointing out an important feature of the company, and namely the conventional openness and transparency that shows in all things. The company’s website offers not only all the detailed technical documentation and actual price lists for the fuel dispensers, but also the mobile phone numbers of the management staff that are on literally day and night. All TATSUNO personnel always pay scrupulous attention to the customers’ problems and share with them the company’s vast experience gained in the years of the operation of the TATSUNO RUS fuel dispensers in particular, and the filling stations in general.

TATSUNO RUS does not aim at the formal presence of its service on site, which appears to be unnecessary taking into account the quality of the equipment supplied. Yet, the personnel of the dealerships and the technical staff of large filling station networks in all regions, where the fuel dispensers of the company are operated, attend free specialized training and possess great professional skills. Thus, the most efficient first-class service is invisibly present at all filling stations operating the TATSUNO RUS equipment. This service is affordable for the customers, while it makes the company proud of their work and personnel. It is important to note that the enterprise has a warehouse with a complete stock of spare parts, which does not subordinate the terms of the service works on the maintenance and repair of the equipment to the availability of the spare parts on stock.

Today TATSUNO RUS is employing 35 workers, while the equipment as well as the measuring and control systems manufactured by the company are effectively operated in 64 regions of the Russian Federation and the CIS countries at more than 4500 filling stations. The company production facilities including the specialized testing laboratory occupy 800 sqm. The office premises occupy more than 200 sqm, whereas the storage facilities cover 1200 sqm.

Many years ago TATSUNO RUS set itself the goal of becoming the best manufacturer of the best fuel dispensers in Russia, and one can safely state that this aim has been achieved. And yet the improvement of the fuel dispensing equipment is carried on and today we have another breakthrough project on the agenda, and namely the creation of the smart TATSUNO RUS fuel dispensers.