Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2018 FRA - September - October 2018 digital 5 | Page 24

FEATURE
These impurities include anything
larger than the grain such as sticks
and anything smaller than the grain
like broken kernels or sand, as well
as anything lighter than the grain
such as husks and dirt.
All the models can be supplied
with an optional air extraction fan,
galvanized ducting and receiving
cyclone for the collection and
recovery of all of the light impurities.
Facet Engineering also offers
other machines for the cleaning,
separating and sizing of grain, seed
and cereals.
poisonous particles which can cause
further damage, negatively affecting
the quality of the grain and seed.
Cleaned grain and seed is of a higher
quality and will therefore fetch a better
price than ‘dirty’ grain that is full of
impurities. Even if a producer does not
have their own storage facilities, clean
grain and seed will bring a higher
return on investment for the producer.
Grain that is rejected by a buyer
usually results in the costs of cleaning
and re-submitting to be carried by
the seller, costs which can ultimately be
avoided.
Grain cleaners are the first and most
important piece of equipment used
to clean any type of grain, seed or
beans. When analyzing all of the
elements that can have an impact on
grain quality, it makes good business
sense for a seed or grain producer
to seriously consider procuring their
own grain cleaner. It is also estimated
that the cost of a grain cleaner can
generally be recovered over two to
three seasons, making it a viable
purchase, even for smaller producers.
Innovation in the field of grain
and seed cleaning
Facet Engineering has been an
innovator in the field of grain and seed
handling and cleaning for the last
30 years. As such, they have since
22 |September - October 2018
developed their own range of grain and
seed cleaning and handling equipment
that can process at capacities of as
high as 120 tonnes per hour.
Their range of grain cleaners includes
four models, all locally manufactured
in South Africa in their state-of-the-art
workshop facility. All these models can
be used to clean a variety of different
grains, either for pre-cleaning or fine
cleaning. This is achieved by virtue of
the ability to change the settings on
When analyzing all of the
elements that can have an
impact on grain quality, it
makes good business sense
for a seed or grain producer to
seriously consider procuring
their own grain cleaner
the machines as well as fitting different
screen sizes on the removable screens.
These easily-operated machines work
on the tried and tested principle of
vibrating screens and air extraction
to separate the grain from impurities.
These include:
Destoner – used to separate and
remove stones which are of a similar
size to the seed or grain kernel. This
machine works on the principle of
separating by specific density or weight
of the particles.
Gravity table – another machine in
the range which separates grain into
different fractions based on specific
densities. This machine is ideal for the
removal of kernels which are rotten
inside or eaten away.
Electronic color sorters – highly
specialized machines designed to
separate or grade products such as
seed, grain, beans and nuts, by virtue
of their color differences which can
be configured/calibrated using pre-
programmed colr parameters.
Facet Engineering’s process division
works extensively in the Agri-
food sector and offers solutions
for: storage, conveying, cleaning,
separating, grading, mixing, sorting
and bagging of grain, seed and
cereal products. Facet Engineering’s
experience within the Agri-food
processing industry spans more than
30 years. They have a wealth of
knowledge in developing solutions for
the handling and processing of grain,
seed and cereal products.