Grain cleaner and grader adds value to post-harvest crops

• Cost-effective crop processing

• Interest from range of farmers

• Different versions for all needs

Grain specialist McArthur Agriculture has included the JCM VibroMAX Grader from JK Machinery as a key component of its growing equipment line-up.

Managing director John McArthur says the company’s extensive range of vibrating sieve cleaners and graders meets the needs of farmers and commercial operators looking to process combinable crops at capacities up to 100 tonnes per hour.

Grain being cleaned is moved across vibrating sieves and separated according to size before entering an aspirator where it is separated by weight and aerodynamic properties.

Vibration technology delivers simple-to-control high output processing with low energy requirements, on a small footprint. 

As expected, high levels of interest in the VibroMAX Grader have come from farmers who have already started to introduce intercropping into rotations, says Mr McArthur.

Intercropping – crops grown together – can deliver physiological benefits including, improved pest and disease resistance, greater water and nutrient utilisation and improved weed suppression, he explaine.

“The separation of these mixed crops has typically been achieved on old cleaning equipment or second-hand systems pressed into service to support on farm trials.

“As trials are scaled up, greater investment is often required in the post-harvest processing and separation.

“The VibroMAX Grader fits the bill for those farmers who now need higher capacity solutions that provide the best cleaning and grading results.” 

The larger JCM VibroMAX 10133G is a triple decked machine. Equipped with three sieves, it cleans and separate crops in a single pass at up to 40 tonnes per hour. Each crop is aspirated individually to ensure the best results.

Two sieves

The already popular JCC VibroCompact 08, with two sieve decks, is designed to meet the needs of farmers who are starting to introduce intercropping. It has the capacity to clean up to 15 tonnes per hour.

This grader can be used for both standard cleaning applications and the grading of intercrops. Repeat processing may be necessary to achieve the best results. It is a versatile machine aimed at those starting post-harvest processing experiments.

With both the VibroMAX and VibroCompact, cleaning and grading can be controlled through the changing of sieves and adjustment of several process variables, including machine angle and vibration frequency.

“When processing crops the variability that exists within a field and even the ear quickly becomes evident,” explains Mr McArthur.

“We have built a demonstration lab at our Scunthorpe depot to give farmers the opportunity to assess the performance of the VibroMAX and the VibroCompact –enabling them to select the most suitable specification.

“The lab will play a key role in helping farmers to achieve the best possible post-harvest processing results by maximising the value of their crops.”

‘Investment will deliver increased returns’

Farmer James Hopkinson, co-founder of Arable Ventures & Cloud Farming, is harvesting his first intercropped fields of pea/barley and spring wheat/linseed this summer. 

“We had already invested in a JCC VibroCompact 08 to clean milling oats and linseed and have also used it for cleaning home saved seed beans, linseed, oats, wheat and barley and it has delivered excellent results,” says Mr Hopkinson.

With customer specifications tightening on his milling oat contracts, the VibroCompact allows Mr Hopkinson to avoid significant financial penalties for delivering grain which does not meet the required cleaning specifications.

In addition, the ability to turn around home saved seed quickly by having his own cleaning system has proved very valuable.

 “Our investment in the VibroCompact will deliver increased returns,” says Mr Hopkinson.

“We will now benefit from its cleaning and grading functionality to separate our post-harvest intercrops – creating added value crops and improving the environmental credentials across our farming businesses.”