BUSINESS NEWS
What do Fuller Industries’ Fuller Custom Brush and the upcoming wheat harvest have in common?
“More than you might think,” said Joe Mann, Fuller vice president and general manager. "For Fuller Custom Brush, some of the most interesting clients that bring us their projects work in the agriculture sector.”
Brushes can serve many functions beyond just sweeping up and scrubbing down, he said. “Brushes also take on numerous tasks in the agricultural world that many would never consider and do them far better than any other solution devised, reducing waste, improving efficiency of operations, and, we know about this very well, tackling jobs where no other solution could work.”
How? “They’re so customizable,” he said.
An ag client can request a certain type and diameter of fill, or bristle, and, in so doing, adjust the stiffness with which the brush contacts the work, whether it be a kind of grain, or a soft fruit, or a potato. Moreover, one can further tweak the length of the bristle, the density of the fill, or the trim shape of the brush.
Other aspects include whether a staple set brush or a metal channel strip brush - using Fuller’s patented Fullergript construction - or a cylinder brush using a modification of the same design.
“Our customers who work in the agriculture sector understand their needs, and, when they explain them to us, we work with them to develop the brush they need,” Mann said. “The end result is a brush designed for the job at hand, specifically, which performs the task.”
Some examples include:
Harvesting: Brushes can play a large roll, with cylinder brushes removing the produce, in some cases leaving the plant itself intact.
Processing: Brush bristles can improve efficiency of some processes while helping to reduce waste and improve the quality of resulting produce - think of removing husks, shells, or skin from seeds, beans, or vegetables.
Material handling: Brushes can be built to specifications for virtually any handling application, from moving harvested produce from elevator to truck or guiding it along conveyors. Less bruising on fruits and vegetables can also mean premium prices at market.
Seed metering and simulation: Seed is a substantial expense to farmers and needs to be distributed to the density level needed. Small seed has a greater tendency to overplant than large seed, and flat seed has a similar tendency to overplant than round seed, and seed coatings and anti-fungal treatments are still other factors. Fuller Custom Brush can work with farmers to design and manufacture a brush to modify a machine to the meter rate needed.
Auger flighting: Using a corkscrew-shaped brush contained within a tubular shaft can move material while keeping the shaft clear. Fuller’s designers can work with the specific challenges to make the brush function to the farmer’s spec.
Sealing: Brushes can seal doors and hatches to prevent dust or debris from entering sensitive areas, or keep it in, where it belongs.
Air intake screens: Machines that need air work harder when the flow is obstructed, and the impact on parts, reduced lubricant life, and overall functional efficiency. A brush designed for the task makes short work of the project.
Vibration and debris control: A brush designed for the job can damp or dissipate vibration or shield debris yet cannot impede the key motion of the machinery. Both functions could improve performance of farm equipment while also reducing wear.
Chain oilers: Drip oilers lubricate chains at one point, using a brush oiler bathes the entire critical chain in a protective coating of oil.
Cleaning trommel screens: A trommel screen begins to lose efficiency of operation soon after it begins to clog up, and it’s not long before it’s not sorting the material according to the spec it’s designed for. The answer is to find a brush that can help keep it clear with every rotation.
Sweeping up and scrubbing down: Custom brushes are designed to get into the tight spaces of specific machines, and can help reduce equipment downtime and push down maintenance and repair costs.