BDC Systems Ltd and Nash Grain Services successfully meet J A & D Cottrell's requirements for new grain drying and storage plant

Knowing that its existing grain drying and storage plant was outdated and would halt plans for future expansion, J A & D Cottrell worked closely with Nash Grain Services and BDC Systems Ltd, to design a state-of-the-art plant. The new plant, with an increased capacity of nearly 16,000t, enables the Cottrells to store their own grain and contract store for Frontier Agriculture.

“Trevor Nash suggested that we talk to BDC as he knew it had a proven track record of successfully designing new plants and delivering high-quality and reliable grain handling equipment,” explained Alan Cottrell of J A & D Cottrell, which farms 866ha at Priors Court Farm, near Wantage in Oxfordshire.

“With an eye on continued expansion, it was important that the first phase of development enabled us to increase our drying capacity to 60tph,” continued Mr Cottrell. “We needed to store our own grain plus have the capacity to dry and store grain for large grain merchants, such as Frontier, to provide us with an additional revenue stream.”

The first phase consisted of the machinery building which holds a large volume intake pit, a Skandia Elevator 120tph intake conveyor with self-regulating inlets, additional Skandia conveyors and elevators, and an Aagaard 120tph heavy duty aspiration precleaner, linked to an outside located Svegma SVC9/6 60tph continuous flow grain dryer.

“Skandia conveyors are the only conveyors with self-regulating inlets. With other conveyors you have to regulate the amount of grain entering the conveyor, Skandia’s conveyors have been designed so that whatever amount of grain comes through, they can handle it!” said Andrew Head, BDC’s MD.

A 120tph Skandia belt and bucket elevator and 120tph chain and flight top conveyor transport the incoming grain into a 160t capacity hopper bottom wet holding silo.