It’s crucial that farmers use efficient storage handling solutions. One such tool is the grain elevator. These age-old buildings keep food safe from inclement weather before it is purchased. But they’re not as simple as they appear on the outside. In fact, they feature mechanical systems that allow farmers to quickly weigh and store food so it’s ready to be parsed out for sale or other use.

How a Grain Elevator Works

1. Weighing

A grain-laden truck pulls up to an elevator. It stops over a specific spot on the floor to be weighed. An operator oversees the process and gives the truck driver the OK to begin unloading.

2. Unloading

Next, the truck driver dumps the vehicle contents into a special vent in the floor. This is a slow, controlled process to prevent buildups and clogs. Some farmers use trucks that have floor compartments that open up to make this process go faster. Others opt for the more old-fashioned method of placing a person in the truck’s container to sweep the grain particles out so they fall into the floor vents.

3. Moving & Sorting

From there, a continuous belt moves the grain in buckets under the ground and then up toward the top of the silo. Once it reaches the highest level, it is pushed out a spout into bins. 

4. Weighing

The now-empty truck remains in place during this process and is re-weighed. The vehicle’s weight is subtracted from the previous total to get the poundage of grain. This number is used to keep track of the total weight stored in the silo so the farmer can generate appropriate sales opportunities based on their current stock.

5. Sampling

Finally, the grain is sampled. Workers assess the food for its quality, searching for foreign matter that may have made it into the silo, such as stalks or animals. The grain is then tested for its weight and moisture content. This information is provided to the farmer along with the weight and total number of bushels they delivered. 

Farmers pay storage fees to keep their product in silos and use the grain elevators. They may pay monthly or even by the load. To learn more about this important process, call the agricultural construction experts at Merritt Mechanical-Fabrication in Cairo, GA, at (229) 377-5586. Or, visit the website to find information about their grain elevator services, such as installing pre-engineered buildings or renovating current barnyard solutions.