Petri Rahkonen’s third-generation crop farm in Tikkakoski took a big digital leap forward. The old grain dryer was consigned to history in spring 2018, and at the same time, the grain processing process was transferred to remote control using Antti-Teollisuus’s ULTIMA system.
“Renovation was needed. The old drying facility, built in the 1960s, had become too small for a farm where the cultivated area had multiplied over the years,” says Petri Rahkonen.
The dryer processes barley, oats, rye, rapeseed, turnip rape and caraway grown on the farm’s land.
“In the past, there were switches that had to be turned by hand.”
In 2018, grain drying was carried out in a new dryer using new technology. The results were immediately apparent: the new ULTIMA reduced the need to visit the electrical centre, as operations could be controlled remotely. Batch and silo data are available anytime, anywhere via the online service.
“Previously, there were switches that had to be turned manually. Now I can manage everything from my computer, mobile phone or even my iPad,” Rahkonen describes the change.
ULTIMA also enables moisture measurement directly from the grain, which reduces overdrying and saves significant energy – and manpower.
“My father no longer needs to run to the dryer. Petri will surely be able to handle the drying work on his own in the future,” laughs his father, Jukka Rahkonen.
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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