Dust Suppressor For Combines, Grain Augers

Dust suppressor for combines, grain augers COMBINES Accessories 15-1-27 New from KRP Enterprises is an oil "dust suppressor" for combines that sprays a small amount of soybean oil on grain inside the unloading auger to reduce dust. The Little Duster I stores soybean oil in a 15-gal. tank mounted on the side of the combine. A small hole is drilled into the discharge auger and the nozzle is seated into the hole. A 12-volt pump circulates oil to the nozzle and onto the grain. The pump is activated by a switch inside the cab, and a pressure gauge lets you control application rate. The system works equally well on corn, soybeans, and small grains. "A thin film of oil is deposited on the inside of the auger. This reduces the friction that causes kernel breakage and dust so there's less dust," says Kelly Pauling, part owner. "What dust is created sticks to the grain. We use a small amount of oil - only about' two teaspoons per bu. The most important benefit is to your health. It's well known that constant exposure to dust can lead to diseases such as emphysema and farmer's lung. But there are economic benefits too. Moving 1,000 bu. of grain you normally lose an average of 1.4 bu. through dust loss and damage. With oil you lose only an average of .2 bu. so you save 1.2 bu. for every 1,000 bu. each time it's handled. You're saving dust that's normally lost so you get more grain volume to the elevator. "The application rate is 1 to 1 112 gallon of soybean oil for every 1,000 bu. of grain so one 15-gal. tank treats 12,000 to 14,000 bu. Soybean oil currently sells for about $3 per gallon so it costs $3 to $4.50 per 1,000 bu. depending on the application rate. With soybeans at $6 per bu., the extra grain saved covers the cost of treatment with money to spare. Cleaner grain also saves wear and tear on your equipment. Your dryer runs cleaner with increased air flow so you can dry grain faster with less energy. Dust-free grain is also easier to auger." Units are custom fit and painted to match any combine model and retail for $2,595. A second model, called the Little Duster II, is designed for hog operations and port-able augers. "It heats up the oil to keep it from jelling in cold temperatures," says Pauling. "It provides cleaner air in hog confinement buildings and improves feed value. Animal growth, feed efficiency, and average daily gain are improved because of the added energy that soybean oil provides and because less feed is lost as dust. It works better than fat because it's more digestible and does a better job of controlling dust. It takes 50 lbs. of fat per ton of feed to get 40 to 50% dust control. It take' only 20 lbs. of soybean oil per ton to get 80% or better dust control. To apply fat you often have to crawl up onto the feed bin and pour it in, but the Little Duster II bolts right onto your auger or grinder-mixer. At a 1% application level, treatment may cost as little as $5 per ton." For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, KRP Enterprises, Inc., 667 Prentice St., Granite Falls, Minn. 56241 (ph toll-free 800 279-3461 or 612 564-2299).

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