Working with BDC Systems Ltd and its partner, Irish Grain Handling Services Ltd (IGHS), the Hobson family, Warrenstown, Co Meath, successfully completed phase three of the development of their hi-tech grain cleaning, drying and storage plant in time to provide additional revenue around harvest 2022.
The Hobsons farm 570ha of land consisting of winter wheat, rye, milling oats and oilseed rape, spring barley,beans, camelina (annual oilseed plant) and herbal leys at Warrenstown Farm, Co Meath.
Difficult harvesting conditions in previous years and uncertainty with green grain prices prompted a major investment in the grain drying and storage facilities, which was undertaken in three phases.
Difficult harvesting conditions and fluctuating green grain prices prompted the investment by the Hobson family.
“Previous wet harvests and no control over green grain prices, meant that investment to improve productivity and efficiency of our grain handling process was imperative.
“A grain dryer was essential,” said David Hobson who farms alongside his father, John, and brother, Robert.
The Hobsons engaged with IGHS and BDC Systems on the design of the first phase of the new plant.
Phase one had at its core a 27 tonne per hour (tph) Svegma continuous flow dryer, a Soby aspirating pre-cleaner and a Zanin rotating drum cleaner, all housed in a specially constructed building.
Grain is fed into the plant via a Skandia curved intake chain and flight conveyor with a 6m intake set almost 1.5m below the level of the tipping trailers to provide ample wet grain intake capacity and pre-drying storage.
From the intake, grain is sent directly to the Soby aspirating pre-cleaner via a belt-and-bucket 60tph Skandia elevator to remove any light dust and chaff.
Operation
The operation of the plant is designed to provide options around how the grain is handled, before being transported to the grain store via a Cimbria 30m long-belt conveyor.
From the Soby pre-cleaner, grain can be sent directly to the grain store or sent to the Zanin drum cleaner and then to the Svegma drier.
Alternatively, grain can be cleaned only or dried only.
Dried grain not reaching the required moisture content can be returned to the Svegma drier, which can also be deployed as a batch drier.
Whichever route the grain takes, manual valves on the outlets of the Soby pre-cleaner and discharge conveyors are fitted with micro switches that tell the plant’s control system where the grain is to go; it is transported along the correct route via five Skandia 60tph I-Line conveyors and three 60tph I-Line elevators.
“The Svegma dryer is crucial to our business. It has allowed us to increase our contract storage business, which includes working with multiple grain merchants in the east of Ireland and storing and handling imported feed material for grain traders. It has opened up avenues for us to market grain to our customers,” explained Hobson.
The investment has allowed the Hobsons to increase their contract storage business.
“Most of the grain produced that we handle is sold either directly to pig and poultry users or to feed mills for the manufacturing of feed rations for livestock farmers.
“We have also been able to open up new revenue streams with the Zanin rotary drum cleaner. Its four interchangeable screens are used to suit the crop and sample requirement. Not only can we clean our own crops, we can clean everything from oilseed rape, hempseed and camelina seeds to beans grown off farm to be contract-dried,” Hobson continued.
Pleased with the performance of phase one meant that BDC Systems and IGHS were again engaged to develop phase two of the plant to further increase the Hobsons’ grain storage capabilities.
The complete system has proved to be robust, reliable and easy to operate
An additional five 60tph Skandia chain and flight conveyors were installed connecting the plant to two more grain stores. The ability to dry to trailer was required to transport the grain to another grain store located across the yard and to handle contract-dried corn to be taken off-farm.
The ability to dry to trailer was part of the phase two work to allow for storage in other grain stores, as well as for contract grain drying.
Continued growth in the Hobsons’ grain-handling business drove development of phase three, once again undertaken by BDC Systems and IGHS.
An additional three 60tph Skandia chain and flight conveyors were installed to transport the grain to the store across the yard, which had been extended by 24m, negating the need to transport it by trailer.
“We chose the Svegma dryer, Soby pre-cleaner, Zanin drum cleaner, Cimbria and Skandia handling equipment, as recommended by BDC Systems, because of its knowledge and expertise within the sector. Because we handle a variety of crops, BDC Systems’ advice was invaluable,” said Hobson.
“The complete system has proved to be robust, reliable and easy to operate.”
The Hobsons’ plant handled just under 20,000t of grain last harvest and the drying campaign began during the winter barley harvest in mid-July and finished in early October.
“The plant allows us to not only meet our customers’ needs by separating and cleaning different varieties of grain to the highest standard, it has enabled us to focus on organic and regenerative farming practices.”
Working with BDC Systems Ltd and its partner, Irish Grain Handling Services Ltd (IGHS), the Hobson family, Warrenstown, Co Meath, successfully completed phase three of the development of their hi-tech grain cleaning, drying and storage plant in time to provide additional revenue around harvest 2022.
The Hobsons farm 570ha of land consisting of winter wheat, rye, milling oats and oilseed rape, spring barley,beans, camelina (annual oilseed plant) and herbal leys at Warrenstown Farm, Co Meath.
Difficult harvesting conditions in previous years and uncertainty with green grain prices prompted a major investment in the grain drying and storage facilities, which was undertaken in three phases.
Difficult harvesting conditions and fluctuating green grain prices prompted the investment by the Hobson family.
“Previous wet harvests and no control over green grain prices, meant that investment to improve productivity and efficiency of our grain handling process was imperative.
“A grain dryer was essential,” said David Hobson who farms alongside his father, John, and brother, Robert.
The Hobsons engaged with IGHS and BDC Systems on the design of the first phase of the new plant.
Phase one had at its core a 27 tonne per hour (tph) Svegma continuous flow dryer, a Soby aspirating pre-cleaner and a Zanin rotating drum cleaner, all housed in a specially constructed building.
Grain is fed into the plant via a Skandia curved intake chain and flight conveyor with a 6m intake set almost 1.5m below the level of the tipping trailers to provide ample wet grain intake capacity and pre-drying storage.
From the intake, grain is sent directly to the Soby aspirating pre-cleaner via a belt-and-bucket 60tph Skandia elevator to remove any light dust and chaff.
Operation
The operation of the plant is designed to provide options around how the grain is handled, before being transported to the grain store via a Cimbria 30m long-belt conveyor.
From the Soby pre-cleaner, grain can be sent directly to the grain store or sent to the Zanin drum cleaner and then to the Svegma drier.
Alternatively, grain can be cleaned only or dried only.
Dried grain not reaching the required moisture content can be returned to the Svegma drier, which can also be deployed as a batch drier.
Whichever route the grain takes, manual valves on the outlets of the Soby pre-cleaner and discharge conveyors are fitted with micro switches that tell the plant’s control system where the grain is to go; it is transported along the correct route via five Skandia 60tph I-Line conveyors and three 60tph I-Line elevators.
“The Svegma dryer is crucial to our business. It has allowed us to increase our contract storage business, which includes working with multiple grain merchants in the east of Ireland and storing and handling imported feed material for grain traders. It has opened up avenues for us to market grain to our customers,” explained Hobson.
The investment has allowed the Hobsons to increase their contract storage business.
“Most of the grain produced that we handle is sold either directly to pig and poultry users or to feed mills for the manufacturing of feed rations for livestock farmers.
“We have also been able to open up new revenue streams with the Zanin rotary drum cleaner. Its four interchangeable screens are used to suit the crop and sample requirement. Not only can we clean our own crops, we can clean everything from oilseed rape, hempseed and camelina seeds to beans grown off farm to be contract-dried,” Hobson continued.
Pleased with the performance of phase one meant that BDC Systems and IGHS were again engaged to develop phase two of the plant to further increase the Hobsons’ grain storage capabilities.
The complete system has proved to be robust, reliable and easy to operate
An additional five 60tph Skandia chain and flight conveyors were installed connecting the plant to two more grain stores. The ability to dry to trailer was required to transport the grain to another grain store located across the yard and to handle contract-dried corn to be taken off-farm.
The ability to dry to trailer was part of the phase two work to allow for storage in other grain stores, as well as for contract grain drying.
Continued growth in the Hobsons’ grain-handling business drove development of phase three, once again undertaken by BDC Systems and IGHS.
An additional three 60tph Skandia chain and flight conveyors were installed to transport the grain to the store across the yard, which had been extended by 24m, negating the need to transport it by trailer.
“We chose the Svegma dryer, Soby pre-cleaner, Zanin drum cleaner, Cimbria and Skandia handling equipment, as recommended by BDC Systems, because of its knowledge and expertise within the sector. Because we handle a variety of crops, BDC Systems’ advice was invaluable,” said Hobson.
“The complete system has proved to be robust, reliable and easy to operate.”
The Hobsons’ plant handled just under 20,000t of grain last harvest and the drying campaign began during the winter barley harvest in mid-July and finished in early October.
“The plant allows us to not only meet our customers’ needs by separating and cleaning different varieties of grain to the highest standard, it has enabled us to focus on organic and regenerative farming practices.”
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