Grain pump catches the eye at showcase
Grain pump catches the eye at showcase
Stoneleigh was the venue
for two major events last
week – Grain 99 and
Farm IT. Andy Collings and
Andy Moore report
WHILE few would admit to there being a large audience at the Grain 99 and Farm IT events, there was no denying an underlying enthusiasm from visitors and exhibitors alike.
Grain 99 revealed all the latest developments in grain handling and storage, while Farm IT provided visitors with a chance to catch up on computer technology and its agricultural applications.
One of the more interesting developments at the Grain event concerned matters of the Hutchinson grain pump – a system which claims to be able to move all types of grain both vertically and horizontally at significantly less cost than current elevator and conveyor systems.
Represented at the event on two different stands – Rekord and Collinson – it would appear that its Canadian manufacturer has granted distribution rights to both. And to further compound the situation, a very similar system was also on display on the Danagri stand.
Politics apart, the grain pump system does appear to have its attractions. The system comprises a series of chain connected plastic paddles at 32cm (13in) intervals, being pulled though a metal pipe. Grain entering the system is moved as the paddles are pulled along.
Predictably, the chain and paddles need to be operated in a loop. The most usual arrangement is for it to run along the tops of a series of bins, down the side of the end one, along the bottom of the bins and then up to the top of the bins once more. The whole circuit powered by just one electric motor.
Grain can enter the pipeline initially via a grain pit – the paddles run through the bottom of it – with delivery to individual bins made by opening the relevant flaps. For bin emptying, flaps are opened at the bottom to allow grain to enter the system and be elevated before being allowed to enter a lorry. It is also possible to use the grain pump to fill on floor storage systems.
Capacity ranges from about 50t/hour for a 15cm (6in) diameter system to over 500t/hour for one using 40cm (16in) diameter piping. Power requirement for a 20cm (8in), 110t/hour version is said to be about 13hp but this would depend on the length and height of the circuit used.
Equivalent conventional systems can cost up to one-third more, says the manufacturer.