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Poultry Plant and Sensor Measurement
A Midwest-based poultry feed mill stored numerous grains, additives, and supplements in liquid and solid forms. In some of these bins containing liquified fat and lime, uneven piling made stored inventory difficult to measure.
Additionally, this site had bins of all shapes and sizes. Some had cone bottoms. Many of the bins were steel, but there was a large slip concrete structure housing bins containing many different materials. The process and environmental conditions were typical of most feed mills: bulk materials prone to dust and a large, widespread facility.
Bob to the Rescue!
The poultry operation`s system included the installation of over fifty SmartBob® continuous-level sensors.
The SmartBob weight-and-cable style sensors used a digestible bottle—a plastic container filled with edible wax—as a weight. This is referred to as digestible because if the bob should disconnect from the cable, the bottle can run through—or be digested by—the augers without damaging any equipment or contaminating any of the feedstuffs.
Most of the SmartBobs were mounted on top of silos housed inside a large concrete structure. Lined up like soldiers, these level sensors were programmed to take measurements every few hours, with the option of taking an on-demand measurement when needed.
Easy Data Access
The poultry staff were able to access inventory data from Binventory® software, installed on a computer in the office, or a walk-up C-100 display console for easy access at ground level. One of the benefits of the software and the console was the ability to view immediate measurements when bins were loaded and unloaded.
Savings on Wiring
The mill was creative with BinMaster technology. With a widespread worksite, they used just about every configuration possible to get measurement data displayed when mill staff needed it.
WL-19 wireless radios reduced the need for wiring. The majority of the SmartBob level sensors were daisy chained to be 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.