Voice of the customer
By expanding the existing facilities, BayWa can now handle 60000 tons of grain per year at its Großmehring site. This also meant an upgrade on systems to latest food and feed safety standards.
oct.-290-2019
If you want to enjoy the view across BayWa's new steel silos in Großmehring from above, you have to make quite an effort. A ladder runs 28 meters straight up the wall – of course with a safety basket behind and an intermediate platform every 8 meters. But the climb is worth it: The best way to grasp the size of the plant is by having a look from the ceiling bridge with the railings next to the conveyor system. The plant was commissioned in 2016 and turns over 60000 tons of grain annually. BayWa has 17 operation sites in Upper Bavaria, among which Großmehring is now the largest. Not only was the storage capacity increased during the expansion of the site. The new conveyor system, the chain conveyors, and the six elevators now enable much more efficient grain handling. “Responsible handling of raw food sources is very important for us at BayWa”, says Peter Joneck, Senior Project Manager Digital Farming.
During this third construction phase, Bühler increased the total storage capacity of the plant to 41000 tons. In addition to the large steel silos, another corn collection system was installed for 150 tons per hour, comprising an air pre-cleaner, drum cleaner, and aspiration system. Josef Bittl is particularly proud of the new corn dryer: “With this dryer, we kill several birds with one stone. We have more than doubled our throughput and at the same time, we save energy. And, very important in terms of quality assurance: After drying, the connected cooler cools the corn down to below 20 °C, thus making it completely ready for storage.”
Since it was commissioned three years ago, business has been running smoothly. 150 tons of grain can be loaded onto trucks every hour and a further 150 tons into railway cars via the sidings.
Joneck is convinced that both food safety and sustainability are linked to the new possibilities offered by digitalization. Along the entire value chain, product data can now be recorded and checked using sensors. “We live digitally. The farmer lives digitally. He combines digital elements with classic elements when handling commodities. And that doesn’t stop with grain storage”, says Peter Joneck.
Collaboration in the past was a very pleasurable experience. For us, it was particularly important to seamlessly connect the old and the new plant. That is why we awarded the contract to Bühler as they had built the old plant. In addition, the proximity to the Bühler site in Beilngries is a big advantage for us, as it is only a 25-minute drive. When we need a spare part, it is delivered at the drop of a hat.
Josef Bittl,
Product Manager Grain
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
