27 September 2021

2 minute read

By: Claire Mintus

Europe

South America

North America

George Eakin, Osborne CEO, speaks about their new bin agitator designed to break up clumps in animal feed to ensure a consistent flow of feed.

Flow Pro Bin Agitator, an automatic feed agitation system, breaks up any clumps or fat balls in feed bins to ensure that the feed can consistently flow, allowing animals to get the nutrients they need.

“We have a controller that automatically turns on an agitation device which provides the breakup of all of these materials that flow into the unloader,” describes Eakin. “The control senses whether or not the bin has been closed and if the delivery auger has been turned on. If the auger's not on, the agitator doesn't work. If the bin's closed, it doesn't work. It only opens and operates when it's called by the feed delivery system.”

Different environmental factors, such as humidity or moisture, can cause the clumping of fat in animal feed. This device removes clumps in high-fat feeds and any feed that may have dried up clumps. Osborne Industries produced two different types of agitators - a 30-degree bin and a straight bin - which has become more popular in recent times.

“This product is going to ensure a smooth and steady flow of feed, and it's going to also not require the producer to have people come out banging on the bins, possibly breaking devices, and things of that nature,” said Eakin. “It provides a real assurance to the customer that they're getting feed out of the bin in a manner in which it needs to be.”

Flow Pro’s rotating agitator provides gentle agitation inside the bin boot as automatic feed delivery systems operate. The rugged auger – making about 100 revolutions per minute (RPM) – ensures continuous flow without compromising feed quality. Flow Pro also eliminates bin wear-and-tear caused by vibrating systems or impacting hammers and mallets. Independent product testing confirms first in, first out flow of a variety of feedstuffs, with no adverse effects on bins or performance of automatic feed lines.