Prairie Land Millwright Inc • 815-538-3085 • http://www.prairielandmillwright.com
Mark McCartney, grain operations manager for Maplehurst Farms, Rochelle, IL (815-562-8723), has worked with just about every type of bin sweep available in the last 30 years.
“I’ve been in operations for seven years, but before that I spent more than 30 years as a millwright,” he says, “so I’ve had plenty of experience with different bin sweeps.”
According to McCartney, Maplehurst currently uses seven different models of bin sweeps at the company’s 11 northern Illinois elevators, but he speaks highly of just one: Prairie Land Millwright’s patented BinGator zero-entry bin sweep, which is designed with paddles – not augers – to sweep the bin floor completely in one pass.
Since Prairie Land Millwright, Mendota, IL (815-538-3085), introduced the BinGator in 2012, Maplehurst has been replacing its other sweeps, about two per year, says McCartney.
“We replace our old sweeps with BinGators as fast as we can. Every time we buy another, our location managers argue over which facility will get it.”
Currently, Maplehurst’s 9-million-bushel elevator in Rochelle has four single-arm 4,500-bph BinGators, one for each of its 105-foot-diameter steel tanks.
“There are several things that stand out about the BinGator, but the biggest advantages are the time and money you save,” he explains.
“With our other sweeps it takes three weeks and four employees to empty a 105-foot-diameter bin. With the BinGator, it takes one person and about eight hours. This has helped us save tremendously on labor costs.” (The BinGator is available in capacities up to 11,000 bph, which are designed to clean out a 105-foot-diameter bin in four hours.)
The BinGator is operated remotely using a programmable logic controller, so the sweep can be operated without entering the bin.
“You just turn it on and wait. If the sump fills up, it turns off the sweep automatically. It turns back on when the sump empties. It’s very sophisticated,” he says. “It basically runs itself.”
With Maplehurst’s other bin sweeps, McCartney says they need to be repaired very frequently. “It seems like every time we try to use them, they’re broken, but we’ve still never had a BinGator breakdown in the five years we’ve been using them.” He credits the BinGator’s heavy-duty design for its durability.
“Anyone who’s ever worked with a bin sweep knows how frustrating and time-consuming it can be to repair it.
“That’s one of the reasons why I’ll never buy another bin sweep other than the BinGator.” he adds.
Reprinted from GRAIN JOURNAL May/June 2017 Issue
Mark McCartney, grain operations superintendent, with two BinGator PLCs that allow for bin sweep operation without entering the tanks.
