The context
In the heart of the Po Valley, a drying and storage facility has implemented a growth strategy focused on increasing soybean processing volumes (approximately 3,000 tons of soybeans per season).
The facility, which already processed around 2,000 tons of corn and began drying soybeans with a mobile dryer, required an upgrade in 2020 to handle larger quantities.
To retain its loyal customer base, the center employs two different technologies: a continuous-flow dryer for large batches of corn and a Mecmar mobile batch dryer for smaller batches of grain.
While the continuous dryer is ideal for handling large volumes, albeit with longer start-up and shut-down times, the mobile dryer offers greater flexibility for intermittent use. However, its daily capacity is significantly lower than that of the continuous-flow dryer.
Faced with these limitations, the client recognized the need for a solution that combined the advantages of both existing systems.
Before installing the new solution
The client was using an SSI model mobile dryer with an 18-ton capacity, purchased in the 1990s, operated by a tractor with approximately 110 HP, equipped with a direct-flame diesel burner. The dryer was fed by a hopper and discharged dried and cooled grain onto the unloading line, which transported it to the elevator and then to storage:
- Mobile dryer model SSI 20/171 T
- Discharge from dryer to the unloading system
- Unloading elevator
- Storage silo
Although effective for small volumes and highly reliable, the SSI model mobile dryer could no longer efficiently meet the growing volume demand.
The ideal solution: Mecmar MB 3/40 mixed-flow dryer
After careful evaluation and years of experience, the client decided in 2020 that a fixed-installation batch dryer would be the optimal solution. The chosen model, the Mecmar MB 3/40 dryer, proved ideal, with a capacity of around 27 tons of soybeans per drying cycle.
Key features of this model:
- Batch operation. The dryer is first filled with the entire batch of soybeans to be dried, and then the fan and burner are activated to remove moisture while the elevator continuously stirs the grain. Once the desired moisture level is reached, the burner shuts off, and the grain is cooled before being discharged. The batch cycle allows greater flexibility and control over the drying process, enabling intermittent use and the ability to dry various types of grains at different moisture levels.
- Airstream gas burner. Equipped with advanced safety systems and a bypass option to modulate heat between discharges, ensuring optimal energy consumption and reducing environmental impact.
- High-efficiency axial fan. Featuring a steel hub and aluminum adjustable blades, the fan on the MB 3/40 dryer combines high energy efficiency with high airflow. The air channels inside the dryer are designed to distribute air evenly, ensuring homogeneous drying. With the same airflow rate, the axial fans on the new dryer consume significantly less electricity than the centrifugal fans used in the mobile dryer. Equipped with a silencer to reduce noise emissions and a dust damper to minimize dust emissions.
- Optimized drying box geometry. The drying boxes are constructed with tapered slots, and the geometry of the boxes is designed for optimal vertical product flow, uniform air distribution, and more effective drying.
After installing the MB dryer
With the introduction of the new Mecmar MB 3/40 mixed-flow dryer in 2020, the client was able to optimize and automate much of the drying process, increasing soybean production capacity without further modifications to the facility or additional staff.
The existing setup was modified by adding a loading pit that feeds an auger leading to a new cleaner, a unit equipped with a dust chamber to remove impurities and fine dust from the grain.
From there, an auger conveys the product to the elevator, which transports it to the MB dryer. Installing the cleaner before the dryer improved the quality of the dried grain, as all drying energy is directed exclusively to the grain, preventing heat loss from dust in the product.
The MB model allows for much more flexible and efficient drying. The discharge from the new dryer is fully integrated with the storage distribution line, significantly reducing handling times and increasing operational capacity.
The installation of dust dampers and a silencer on the fan has significantly reduced environmental impact by limiting dust emissions and lowering noise levels in the surrounding area.
The control system, managed via a 15-inch advanced touch screen, allows operation in both manual and automatic modes:
- Loading pit
- Auger to cleaner
- Cleaner with dust chamber
- Auger to elevator
- Elevator
- MB 3/40 dryer
- Dryer discharge
- Distribution line to storage
Customer satisfaction
The introduction of the MB 3/40 dryer has revolutionized the facility’s drying process, enabling more efficient drying with reduced energy consumption:
- The axial fan and elevator consume less energy than the centrifugal fan and auger of the mobile dryer,
- The enclosed dryer retains heat within the machine.
Environmental impact is also reduced:
- The fan is equipped with a silencer,
- The dust interception damper reduces dust emissions into the atmosphere.
The flexibility to handle batches of varying sizes has significantly improved the facility’s responsiveness to market demands, optimizing production times and the final quality of dried grains.
Ease of use via the touch screen, which can be remotely monitored by smartphone, along with automatic, quiet, and dust-free operation, has allowed the client to dry larger quantities of grain with greater peace of mind. These benefits have resulted in a rapid return on investment, achieved within a few years.