In August 2018, Antti-Teollisuus’s Antti 85MF3 vacuum dryer was completed at the Hyytiäinen farm in Forssa Matku. The aim was to minimise grain drying as much as possible so that there would be sufficient resources for the farm’s main production, namely carrots. Over the past couple of years, grain drying capacity has increased significantly, freeing up time for carrot cultivation.
When it came time to purchase a new dryer in 2018, farmer Arto Hyytiäinen opted for a gas oven due to its superior efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
“Thanks to the large drying capacity, it has been possible to optimise the threshing cycles, and the large single-batch capacity has resulted in clear time savings,” says Hyytiäinen.
Despite Ultima’s remote monitoring capabilities, the new dryer was built in connection with the farm’s business centre and old dryers.
“The original idea was to utilise their drying and storage capacity, but after the new drying facility was built, only the storage capacity has been needed. Automation has made operation relatively easy and straightforward,” Hyytiäinen continues.
“The gas dryer is a significant investment. I was surprised by the robustness, height and labour intensity of the foundation work for the package dryer. It is best to leave the installation of the dryer to the experts; with their help, the job went smoothly,” Hyytiäinen says.
There are two options for acquiring gas equipment: renting or purchasing. “We purchased our own tank, as the payback period was sufficiently short in our case. It is a good idea to find out the installation costs for the tank, gas pipes and oven in advance, as it is quite a precise job. The gas tank does not need to be impossibly large, as it has an automatic refill notification system.”
Hyytiäinen concludes with a few practical tips: “Even though the oven and its technology are designed for outdoor use, it is advisable to use common sense and, where possible, protect them from the weather to avoid maintenance downtime. Heat channels should also be treated with heat-insulating paint.”
A premiere in Germany: As the first customer in Germany, Andermann farm in Haßbergen, located in the Nienburg/Weser district, chose Antti’s X-Series. The farm’s own compact grain drying plant offers numerous advantages. In addition to economic benefits, greater independence from grain traders has proven to be a significant gain for the Andermann family.
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