Page 11 - AWA Vol.41-No.9 issue

CROP CULTIVATION

Eaubrink Farm boosts harvest efficiency with new grain

processing plant from McArthur BDC

Eaubrink Farm GmbH, near King’s fitted with a Skandia paddle sweeper
Lynn, Norfolk, has expanded its and grain is discharged into the out-
post-harvest capacity and streamlined loading system, feeding into a vertical
operations with a new on-farm grain auger that allows grain to be loaded
drying, storage and handling plant directly into lorries for simple and ef-
designed and installed by McArthur ficient bulk loading.
BDC. The 11,000-acre business grows The new plant has successfully met
winter wheat and barley and spring Eaubrink Farm’s post-harvest require-
barley, sugar beet and beans. ments:
Farm Manager, Leopold Stolberg, • Additional 6,600t of storage capac-
contacted McArthur BDC as Eaubrink ity.
Farm needed to expand its drying • The Svegma drier handles peak
and storage capabilities and he had harvest volumes, minimising down-
not been completely satisfied with
the previous supplier of post-harvest hour) time and bottlenecks.
equipment. 2x belt and bucket elevators • Direct discharge into either silo or
“In recent years, we simply didn’t 4x chain and flight conveyors the existing store, giving full crop flow
have enough capacity and didn’t want 2x paddle sweepers flexibility.
to keep relying on outdated facilities,” Dust and chaff remover • Quick grain movement between
explained Stolberg. drier, silos and store, maximising
• PLC touchscreen control panel,
Stolberg also wanted to make har- integrating automatic drier control, storage utilisation.
vest operations simpler by having remote monitoring, live access, and • Safe drying and storage under op-
a drying and storage plant situated email/text alerts timum conditions, reducing post-har-
closer to where crops were being har- vest losses.
vested. Previously, grain had to be McArthur BDC also optimised the “The plant delivers significantly im-
transported to a drying facility some site layout to keep harvest traffic proved operational efficiency with re-
distance away, and then brought back flowing. The trench intake is posi- duced handling times,” said Stolberg.
to the farm to be stored. A new on- tioned next to the weighbridge and “We can now maximise throughput
farm plant would result in a significant new plant office so that loads can be during the short harvest window and
reduction in transport costs and man- weighed, tipped and turned around reduce bottlenecks, enabling better
power hours. quickly without disrupting other farm use of labour and machinery. Its de-
operations.
“McArthur BDC was selected as the sign also gives us the flexibility to ex-
preferred supplier for this project be- Grain enters the plant via the 100t/ pand in future.”
cause from day one, I had a feeling hour trench intake conveyor which Stolberg advises other farmers con-
that working with its team, we would can either: sidering similar investments not to
be in very professional hands,” said • Feed the drier line – via the Skan- rush the process. “It’s important to
Stolberg. dia belt and bucket elevator, through make the right choice of partner, and
“The McArthur BDC team also the dust/chaff remover, grain is then that can take time. Although my first
worked very closely with the other transported to a Skanda chain and impression when meeting McArthur
contractors on site, civil contractor, flight conveyor into the Svegma dri- BDC was that working with them, we
DG Scales, and Neil Whicker Elec- er. Once dried, grain is emptied via would be in professional hands, I met
trical Services. This collaboration another conveyor into a second ele- its team several times before making
played a key role in bringing the proj- vator, which feeds a conveyor which the final decision. The wrong decision
ect together.” distributes grain to one of the two Suk- can be expensive and impossible to
up silos. rectify.
McA BDC also arranged for Stolberg
and DG Scales to visit two of McArthur • Bypass the drier – the trench con- “It also helps to keep a close eye
BDC reference sites so they had sight veyor feeds directly into the drier dis- on progress during construction, be-
of different grain processing systems. charge conveyor, allowing grain to be cause designs can look very different
transferred straight into storage aera- once they move from paper to reality.
Following site visits and detailed
design meetings, McArthur BDC sup- tion silos. By walking around the site daily, or
every other day, you can spot oppor-
plied and installed a bespoke grain Additionally, a secondary conveyor
processing system comprising: allows grain to be taken directly from tunities to make adjustments in good
the silos into the adjacent store. This time,” Stolberg continued.
• Svegma 54t/hour continuous flow
grain drier conveyor also enables lorry/trail- “Above all, it is key that you have the
er loading through a centrally posi- right partners, and not too many, and
• 2x 3,300t Sukup aeration silos tioned outlet along the new roadway that they are the right fit for you. For
• Skandia Elevator handling equip- between the silos and the existing Eaubrink Farm, there is no question
ment, including: store. that McArthur BDC was the right fit.”
Below-ground trench intake (100t/ When emptying the silos, each silo is Circle 11 on enquiry card
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