customer area

Certificates

Here you can find and download CTS’ ISO 9001 certificate and the approval certificates of the various models of composite cylinders:

  • PED certificates
  • TPED certificates
  • DOT certificate
Certificates

Manuals and posters

Here you can find and download:

  • Use, maintenance and inspection manuals in various languages
  • Posters and guides  
Manuals and posters

support procedure

Here you can learn how the RMA procedure for support and returns works and download the CTS’ RMA form to open a support ticket

Support

FAQ

To test its cylinders, CTS performs hydraulic and leak tests on each cylinder, as required by current regulations, and carries out statistical dimensional checks. For each cylinder batch, one cylinder is subjected to the burst test. Every 5 batches of the cylinder model, a cycle test is performed.
For the CE marking of its products, CTS has decided to apply the “module F” control scheme instead of the “module D.” The “module D” procedure requires the company to independently check and declare that each product conforms to the approved prototype, while the notified body conducts interval checks on the products.
The “module F” procedure involves both the manufacturer declaring each product’s conformity, but also the notified body certifying that each product conforms to the approved prototype. This procedure also requires the presence of the notified body at the first hydraulic tests of CTS products. CTS has chosen to follow the “module F” so the more stringent procedure to guarantee and certify without any doubt the safety of its products.
As regards the DOT marking system, it is mandatory to follow a more stringent system than the “module D”, identical to the one described above and therefore to the “module F”.
Water Jacket proof test involves filling a pressure vessel with water, placing it inside a water-filled test chamber (called test jacket). The vessel is then pressurized, measuring the volume of water displaced from the test jacket by the vessel’s expansion.
The Water Jacket (needed for metal cylinders or for cylinders with metal liners) must NOT be used with type 4 cylinders, as it gives you a false result. The water jacket is needed to evaluate if there is a deformation problem for metal cylinders or metal liners, that are able to increase the volume more than the autofrettage, but the autofrettage is impossible to be made with type 4 cylinders.

During the filling and discharge procedure, the cylinder may emit some noises, often described as a crunch, which is not cause for concern. These are the various layers of carbon and the internal liner that relax or tense as the pressure varies.

The incoming air passes through the valve and then through the sintered filter, which is composed of a porous metal structure. The air entering at high speed could cause some very small fragments of this metal to be projected. These projectiles can puncture the internal plastic liner and cause a leak. This damage is impossible to repair, so the cylinder must be discarded.

When you drink too quickly it is possible that the water bottle may deform in your hands. Likewise, rapid air discharge can stress the liner and create local voids that deform the liner. For this reason, to have a healthy liner, the use of EFV is always recommended.

It is advisable to wait 3 hours after charging the cylinder, before testing the cylinder for leaks. This settling period serves the following purposes:
  • Allowing the cylinder to reach room temperature.
  • Ensuring the proper settling of the sealing O-RING.
  • Allowing trapped air between the various layers that make up the cylinder’s coating (sheaths and end caps) to escape.
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If the cylinder is not allowed the settling period after filling, the described phenomena may simulate false leaks.

The cylinder can only be filled with the gas for which it has been approved, which is stated on the label.
CTS produces cylinders for breathing air, compressed air, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium, argon and carbon dioxide, but CTS cylinders are not yet approved with to be used with gas mixtures with oxygen content higher than 23.5%

The temperatures indicated on the label are the maximum and minimum temperatures for which the cylinder has been tested, so it is certain that it can be used even after having been subjected to these temperatures. It can therefore be used at higher temperatures, such as in a fire, but the cylinder must then be inspected to confirm its functionality.
Exposure to high temperatures, even 300°C, for a short period of time (10-15 sec) cannot alter either the outer composite layer or the chemical and physical properties of the inner plastic liner, so a firefighter’s exposure to flames is generally not prolonged enough to affect the cylinder. It is always and in any case recommended to have the cylinder exposed to fire inspected by an authorised centre or CTS itself.

When it comes to cylinders exposed to high temperatures, it is important to distinguish between the ambient temperature and the actual temperature reached inside the cylinder. Since the composite layer has thermal insulation properties, even if the cylinder is exposed to a high temperature environment, it takes time to reach the same temperature inside the cylinder. Therefore, not only the temperature, but also the exposure time must be taken into account.
The internal liner is made of PET, therefore it must not be subjected to high temperatures (> 65°C) for long time, as it risks being damaged, in the same way as a plastic bottle. It is therefore not permitted to use boiling water or a pressure washer to clean the cylinder nor to use jets of hot air above 65°C for drying.

When it comes to damage to external finishes, one thing must be kept in mind: finishes are not structural, so even if damaged, they do not compromise the functionality and safety of the cylinder. Finishes serve primarily to protect the label and the composite. If the damage has caused the label (particularly the serial number) to become illegible, making recognition difficult, it will then need to be replaced with a new, legible one.
If the damage has reached the composite, it will be necessary to ensure that it has not damaged it. In our manual there are guidelines and many pictures to help you assess the damage. You can also ask our staff directly for a damage assessment.
It is possible to rework the cylinder and repair or replace damaged components, putting the cylinder back into service if it is undamaged. This work can be done by CTS or authorised centres.

The inner liner has the sole purpose of containing the gas, while the composite layer (which is permeable) has the sole structural function. Therefore, if the cylinder can no longer contain the gas, it can only mean that the inner liner is damaged. If you see water leaking out of the cylinder during a hydraulic test, it means that the liner is severely damaged, can no longer contain anything, and the water passes through the carbon layers. There is no safety risk, as the liner has no structural function, the cylinder will simply no longer perform its function.

The internal inspection should be carried out using a sufficient illumination. A video endoscope is advisable to detect also damages not visible to the human eye. The cylinder interior should be clean.
The internal liner may have aesthetic defects due to intense use. In our manual you can find a detailed description and classification of the damage, along with many photos to help you assess the damage. Here you can also find a summary poster for damage assessment

According to ISO 11623, the re-test period for cylinders used for underwater operations and self-contained breathing apparatus shall not exceed five years. For cylinders non-SCBA and non-SCUBA, the limit is 5 years or 10 years for models that have the status of safe and known design. CTS has obtained the extension of the retest period to ten years (according to packaging instruction P200 (9) of the ADR), so from 10/03/2023 the retest period for not SCBA/SCUBA cylinders is extended to ten years from the last test performed.
However, some countries, according to their national laws or regulations, may stipulate a shorter retest period. It is responsibility of owner or user is to submit the cylinders for a periodic inspection within the specified interval.

The CTS RMA routine procedure provides for:
  • internal and external inspection
  • hydraulic test at test pressure (which is not a retest)
  • leak test at working pressure
  • analysis of the problem, its cause and formulation of a solution
  • test report of all tests performed.
If the case being submitted is not standard, CTS also performs other tests as required.