Due to the high moisture content within the corn fiber, the material flow was erratic, causing the material to be prone to bridging and hard packing. As a possible fix, the customer invested into a vibratory silo bottom. Not addressing the issue, the “fix” quickly proved to be inadequate, often requiring plant personnel to manually strike the bottom of the silo with hammers in an attempt to promote material flow. Unknowingly, this reaction decreased the silo’s integrity, while taking a physical toll on the employees and their overall capability to work efficiently.
Through 60+ years of custom application design experience, Laidig was able to provide three (3) Model #5360 Cone-Bottom reclaimers – replacing the ineffective vibratory silo bottoms, while retrofitting into the existing silo structures. The Laidig Model #5360 Cone-Bottom reclaimers were an excellent solution for this type of high-protein application. By providing a full 360-degree auger rotation underneath the corn fiber material, this allowed for a consistent FIFO flow pattern. By ensuring adequate material flow, this resolved bridging problems, maintained material quality, and eliminated the need for plant personnel to strike the silo structure – ultimately facilitating the environment for higher processing productivity.