Grain handling expertise with Buttimer Engineering

Grain handling has been the cornerstone of Buttimer Engineering since their inception in 1978, originally providing equipment exclusively for the handling of bulk dairy and grain products. It can now boast four decades of experience in the design and supply of mechanical handling systems for grain and agri-industry applications.

 

From the fabrication of bespoke pieces of equipment to the design and installation of complete turnkey materials handling systems, Buttimer’s in house design team and on-site engineers have a wealth of knowledge and practical experience of providing tailored solutions to agri-industry sectors including malting, brewing, food processing, animal feed milling and energy crops. Delivering projects for clients such as Dairygold, Diageo and Bunge, the diversity and depth of Buttimer’s grain handling expertise makes the company an ideal partner in the development and installation of grain handling systems.

 

Buttimer design equipment and mechanical handling systems for a diverse range of grain products, including but not limited to: wheat, barley, maize (corn), rice, flaxseed, rapeseed and rapeseed meal, soya beans and soybean meal, coffee, food powders, wood fibres, pellets and other biomass.

 

Each system is designed to complement the characteristics of the handled dry bulk product, and the throughput and processing requirements of the client. Some processing applications installed include: drying, de-stoning, cleaning, milling, blending, pelleting (cubing) and treating as well as the required belt or chain conveying, bucket elevators, hoppers and loading and unloading equipment to rail, road, ship or other logistics systems.

 

Systems can be designed with full dust control, aspiration systems, ATEX and fire safety protocols to the specification of the grain’s characteristics and client’s process. Storage options include steel silos, concrete silos and flat-stores. Each dry bulk product, and client’s processing requirements will require a unique handling system; Buttimer works with clients to deliver the grain processing, storage and out-loading system that meets those unique requirements.

 

Equipment supply 

The range of equipment supplied by Buttimer is quite comprehensive and covers all aspects of the grain handling process. This includes equipment for;

 

* mechanical conveying: Buttimer supplies a range of belt, chain, bucket and screw conveyors for the handling of dry bulk product. With motors, gears, belts and components customized to the client’s process — Buttimer endeavours to provide the right unit based on requirements, prioritizing efficiency and ease of maintenance.

 

* pneumatic conveying: another form of conveying, Buttimer offers a selection of rotary valves, pneumatic conveying plant, two-way diverters and automatic filtering systems for handling powders and dry bulk products. Buttimer can provide the complete range of components including slide-gates, ducting and air blowers.

 

* sorting & separating: this includes specialist equipment for sorting or separating bulk product based on particle size, weight, colour or other commodity characteristics. Equipment provided includes gravity separators, magnetic separators and laser colour variance detectors.

 

* mobile fume & dust extraction: a range of mobile vacuum extractors with customisable, extendable and adjustable extraction tubes and arms. Perfect for localized removal of fumes, vapours, fine dust or odours, these units can be easily operated and then folded away for an effective and flexible extraction solution.

 

* installed dust control: industrial dust control systems including extraction filters, ducting and air pressure systems. Buttimer’s range of filtration solutions includes bag and cartridge type dust capture. Fully customizable extraction units can be designed for aspiration in grain, biomass, pharmaceutical, recycling, metals and similar sectors

 

 

 

Over the past 40 years, Buttimer Engineering has completed provided equipment for many large projects in the grain handling sector for a number of high profile clients, such as;

 

Buttimer Engineering provided design, procurement, fabrication and installation services in Dublin’s famous St. James Gate brewery, where rice, malt barley and roasted malt barley are handled. The turnkey solution developed includes; bulk intakes, a bin block of 13 storage bins, five cleaning and de-stoning lines (including weighing, aspiration and process equipment), a rice grinding line and roller mill. Buttimer’s service involved the full detailed design and supply of all equipment as well as on site installation which included equipment support structures, mainte­nance and project management.

 

Bunge is a global producer and trader of food oils and grains. The import/export facility in Swinousjcie, Poland, includes a large flat storage facility for soybean meal and rapeseed meal, which also compromises a fully aspirated system for loading and unloading ships, rails and trucks, demonstrating very high throughput efficiency for a low-density bulk product. It includes a ship unloading capability of 800tph (tonnes per hour) of soybean meal, ship loading of 600tph of rapeseed meal, a handling and storage capacity of 50,000 tonnes. The fully aspirated turnkey project was designed and project managed by Buttimer.

 

Buttimer Engineering carried out a range of design, fabrication, delivery, installation and maintenance work at Masnedo Bulk Terminal, Denmark. This industrial part of the port is intended to handle grain cargo. Buttimer has completed, provided and installed equipment for the handling of bulk products. The project included: silos with a total capacity of 88,000m3, a dryer with wheat capacity of 100tph, 500 tonnes of galvanized supporting structure and almost 60 different types of conveyors with capacities vary from 300 to 1000 tonnes of wheat per hour.