Scott Chant
Reprinted from GRAIN JOURNAL January/February 2020 Issue
History
SafeGrain, Inc. was founded 65 years ago in Dayton, OH, when founder Fred Yoder began working as a sales representative for various companies selling to the grain industry under the name Dayton Safe-Grain. By 1975, the company began producing its own temperature detection equipment and opened a manufacturing and service facility in Waynesfield, OH. Current owner and President Scott Chant joined and purchased the company in 1984 and began expanding the business.
In 1992, SafeGrain acquired Maxi-Tronic, Inc., a manufacturer of motion controllers, belt alignment and bearing monitors, PC-based monitoring systems, and other material handling system controls and sensors.
Maxi-Tronic is credited, says Chant, with patenting the first dual set-point motion control system. Continuing in that spirit of innovation, SafeGrain has introduced a number of groundbreaking new products, including its wireless SafeTrack grain temperature detection system in 2006, and most recently, Maxi-Tronic’s DigiMax digital hazard monitoring system for materials handling facilities.
As the company has grown, so has its facilities and reach into global markets. Chant says SafeGrain moved its operations to Loveland, OH, north of Cincinnati, in 2012, and increased its manufacturing facilities to 30,000 square feet in Wapakoneta, OH the following year.
“Since I bought the company in 1984, we’ve expanded to a worldwide distribution of our products in more than 50 countries,” he adds.
Quality Control, Hazard Monitoring Equipment.
SafeTrackTM grain temperature monitoring system.
SafeGrain custom hopper aeration system.
Philosophy
According to Chant, SafeGrain is out to change the world. “We truly believe we are helping feed the world, and our products make the world a better place.”
In his view, Chant feels the increased worldwide demand for protein is just as important as any technological advances, because of the number of people who still lack access to proper diets and suffer from malnutrition. “There is a worldwide grain issue now – not just in the United States. We are part of a protein revolution that will change the world, and I think it’s a wonderful thing.”
On an operational level, what sets SafeGrain apart is its ability to cater to the needs of customers’ specific jobs and offer tailored solutions, as opposed to recommending a standard, off-the-shelf product for every application.
“The best way to approach a customer’s problem is to say, ‘Tell me what you need,’” adds Chant. “We try to determine what the customer’s needs are and then provide products and services for that specific need. We do not have a one-size-fits-all approach. We’re going to figure out our customers’ custom needs and provide for them.”
RadarTrackTM continuous bin level system for concrete or steel.
Maxi-Tronic DigiMaxTM hazard monitoring system with 1-Wire® technology.
Products
Among SafeGrain’s most recent innovations is its RadarTrack non-contact radar level sensor for powders, liquids, and bulk commodities. “RadarTrack,” according to Chant, “continuously measures fill levels in concrete or steel storage silos and bins, and it can be mounted on a flat or sloped roof and above a flat or hopper bottom structure.
“RadarTrack utilizes a narrow, 4-degree, 78-GHz beam to achieve greater accuracy and is not influenced by fixed obstructions or suspended dust,” he explains. “A simple two-wire connection and mounting flange makes installation easy.”
SafeGrain also offers a series of roof exhaust fans that are designed to sweep moisture-laden air from the underside of bin and silo roofs before condensation can accumulate, significantly reducing the risk of grain crusting.
Ranging in power from 3,000 to 60,000 cfm, SafeGrain’s galvanized aluminum roof exhaust fans can be operated manually, automatically by thermostat, or by a relay control module integrated into its SafeTrack monitoring system.
On the Maxi-Tronic side of the business, the company recently introduced the DigiMax digital hazard monitoring system. “DigiMax uses 1-Wire® sensor technology to connect all sensors in a facility using a single CAT6 cable,” he says. “The DC1 digital controller is the heart of the DigiMax system and features a UL/CSA/FM-approved, integrated Intrinsically Safe Barrier for sensor installation in Class II, Div. 1 Groups F and G hazardous locations.
“DS1 digital splitters allow easy connection of bearing, temperature, belt misalignment, motion, and other sensors to the DigiMax network,” he adds.
- Rob Nieminen, contributing writer
MaxiScan 24+ hazard monitor and controller.
Maxi-Tronic bearing temperature and belt alignment sensors.
