A Midwest-based poultry feed mill stores numerous grains, additives, and supplements both in liquid and solid form. Bins containing materials such as liquified fat and lime that pile unevenly are some of the more challenging bins to measure. The site has bins of all shapes and sizes. Some have cone bottoms. Many of the bins are steel, but there is a large slip concrete structure housing bins containing many different materials. Process and environmental conditions are typical of most feed mills with materials prone to dust and a facility that is large and spread out.
Bob to the rescue!
The poultry operation system included the installation of over fifty SmartBob continuous-level sensors. The SmartBob weight-and-cable style sensors use a “digestible bottle” as a weight, which is a plastic container filled with edible wax. It is referred to as digestible as if the bob should disconnect from the cable, it can run through (be digested by) the augers without damaging any equipment or contaminating any of the feedstuffs. Most of the SmartBobs are mounted on top of silos housed inside a large concrete structure. Lined up like soldiers, these level sensors are programmed to take measurements every few hours, with the option of taking an on-demand measurement when it is needed.
Easy data access
The poultry staff accesses inventory from Binventory® software from a computer in the office or a C-100 display console that they can walk up to for easy access at ground level. One of the benefits of the software and the console is the ability to take immediate measurements when bins are loaded and unloaded.
Save on wiring
The mill was creative with BinMaster technology. As the mill is spread out, they used just about every configuration possible to get measurement data displayed when mill staff needed it. The WL-19 wireless radios helped to reduce the need for wiring. The majority of the SmartBob level sensors are daisy chained and viewed on the same PC located in the mill office.
Long-term commitment
BinMaster distributor Wm Neundorfer & Co. makes a point to check with customers to discuss the latest advances in sensors and software.
Contributed by Wm Neundorfer & Co.
