Oilseed Certified Grain Belts
Designed with Oilseeds in Mind
Brandt’s new oilseed certified package significantly reduces conveyor wear and tear.
It’s no secret that oilseeds, Canola in particular, can wreak havoc on conveyors. Oilseeds cause rapid degradation of belts when they leak behind and get crushed. Because of this, Brandt invested in research and development for a more durable product. With that, came their new Oilseed-CertifiedTM “Canola-proof” GrainBelts.
During the research process Brandt identified four key problem areas in need of improvement for better oilseed handling. These areas were the belt, the belt cleaning system, the roller system and the belt sealing system.
After running various tests with over one quarter of a million bushels of Canola, they developed the following solutions based on the aforementioned areas.
They changed the belt pattern to a V pattern tread. This pattern helps keep the seed in the centre of the belt, preventing it from getting caught in seals or pushed over the sides.
They also adjusted the belt shape and profile. By creating a raised rim along the edge of the belt, it provides a smooth surface and prevents canola from leaking over the side. Also, by making a flat profile on the lip, they enhanced the effectiveness of the seal.
Next they took a look at the transition area which was one of the primary leak points. This was fixed by adding additional seals and flashing to the flange point. A grain deflector shield was added above the S-Roller to improve the flow and ensure grains continuously move upwards.
Belt wipers and roller guarding were the other improvements they focused on to prevent build-up of crushed oilseeds. They changed the wipers to a durable polyurethane material and put the wipers at key locations on the conveyor. Clean out ports were added to ensure excess debris falls out onto the ground.
Roller guarding was added onto key rollers on the intake and S-Drive to ensure the rollers stay free of debris and build up. A removable tray at the bottom of S-drive was included to provide easy clean-out of debris to prevent excess buildup.
So how did these upgrades perform when put to the test? The results are quite impressive.
Standard Conveyor VS Oilseed Conveyor Results
During the first test, they used a standard belt in a standard conveyor. The belt shrunk 21” after 33,000 bu of Canola was moved. No re-tensioning was performed.
Next, they tested an Oilseed-CertifiedTM belt in a standard conveyor. After 90,000 bu of Canola was moved, they recorded 12” of shrinkage on the belt. No re-tensioning was performed.
Finally, they tested the Oilseed-CertifiedTM belt in the Oilseed-CertifiedTM conveyor. After moving 250,000 bu of Canola, only a ½” of shrink on the belt occurred. During this test, the EZ track was re-tensioned by ¼”.
Brandt Oilseed-CertifiedTM conveyors are available in both Brandt’s Harvest and Field GrainBelt models. CLICK HERE to view available series.
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