System Controls Grain Dryer

System Controls Grain Dryer Alexander Sluijmers, a Perry of Oakley Ltd. development engineer, was recently declared the winner of the prestigious 2025 Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Association (LAMMA) Young Engineer Award for his role in the creation of the Grain Sentry, an automated moisture measurement and operational control system for continuous flow grain dryers. “Traditionally, operating a continuous flow grain dryer is labor intensive,” Sluijmers says. “It requires a dedicated person to oversee and take manual moisture readings. Then the dryer temperature and/or discharge speed must be manually adjusted to achieve the optimal moisture content. The Grain Sentry replaces this person.” The machine can be used to dry wheat, barley, oats, triticale, rye, corn, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, rice, coffee, peas, lupin, soybeans, rape, sunflowers, jojoba, and even seaweed. It uses pneumatic conveying to take a grain sample from the dryer filling and discharge equipment and analyzes it using the latest near-infrared technology. “The algorithm we developed to run the system is self-teaching, gathering information from the two sampling points. It uses a series of calculations to determine the correct dryer speed and/or temperature to maintain the best possible moisture content,” Sluijmers says. Once the dryer and Grain Sentry are running, the Sentry controls the dryer, ensuring the grain is stored at the proper moisture content. If any concerns arise, the app receives alerts. The system operates from a dryer PLC panel or remotely from the app. Proper drying practices are important, as over-drying leads to excess fuel consumption, and under-drying can drive fungal growth, both of which decrease the price per ton. Profitable arable farming is becoming harder to achieve, and the Grain Sentry helps address this challenge,” Sluijmers says. “It de-skills the grain dryer operator role and significantly reduces staff hours required while decreasing fuel consumption.” The unit improves profitability, with potential savings on drying costs ranging from $28,000 to $69,000 per season. The Grain Sentry is manufactured in Devon, England, and is available across North America. The unit price varies depending on the dryer but begins at $32,000 plus S&H. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Perry Oakley, Dunkeswell Airfield, Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4LF (ph +44 (0)1404 891 400; info@perryofoakley.co.uk; www.perryofoakley.co.uk).

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