Improve your potato bruise free bonuses and quality with the SMART SPUD.
Potato Black Spot and Shatter Bruised potatoes can be prevented from going into storage or onto the retail shelf. With the use of our Smart Spud, you can cut potato bruising and damage by at least 10% of your current rate, adding that much more profit to your bottom line. Processors deduct for it, consumers hate it.
With an ever increasing demand for high quality and flawless produce in the marketplace, your customers and your bank will thank you for allowing the Smart Spud to help control damage and bruising. Reduce storage diseases and allow yourself peace of mind. Within seconds see exactly how your harvester, windrowers, grading, washing and packing facilities are causing damage to your crop. Improve your Quality Control and record keeping by pinpointing where damage is occurring through:
- Impact and Vibration analysis
- Temperature analysis
This system is an important part of your quality control routine for:
- Producers
- Packers
- Processors
- Storage and Transportation
See what our customers have to say about Smart Spud Technology.
To view the top reasons for upgrading your Smart Spud, please click here.
Smart Spud Tips
(Sending our tips to your friends and colleagues by using our simple "send to a friend" feature located below will enable you to recieve a promotional code worth 20% off our Smart Spud product, on any online purchase.)
Smart Spud Tip #1
" How can I make my current harvester operate as good as a brand new one? "
Even though you may have experienced operators, many people can only see and hear so much. Most times bruising is not the result of an old harvester. New doesn't necessarily solve the problem. I have often heard how something "looked alright" but in reality was causing significant preventable damage. Proper evaluation and ongoing testing helps remove the guesswork.
There are technologies available to sense and monitor impact damage related to potato bruise or there are methods to test the seriousness of bruising using a simple peel method. Technology can be used to instantly detect your handling profile and reveal unexpected bruise information as the device moves through each chain. More information is available at
www.sensorwireless.com.
First thing to do is check laminar flow. Tractor forward speed can be one of the most crucial adjustments; second to it is chain speed. If high impact values are occurring, a minor increase or decrease in forward speed can sometimes reduce or eliminate bruise zones. Of course, this changes with yield, moisture and even tractor and harvester. Make small changes first verify improvements, enjoy the results.
Smart Spud Tip #2
" I'm seeing a lot of cracked and scrapped potatoes on the secondary chain. I think they are rolling on the sides of the belted chain. What can I do ".
This is pretty common, especially since most guys have gone with belted chain. The best solution is rolling (physically) some old conveyor belt and bolting it (bolt through one side only) on an angle just below the primary chain. This will gently guide the potatoes away from the digger walls and away from the sides of the chain, preventing roll back. Get more information at
www.sensorwireless.com.
Smart Spud Tip #3
" I've made some changes to ground and chain speed, but I am still getting higher than allowable impacts on the secondary. What could be causing that ".
Usually this can result from 1 of 3 issues, or a combination. If you're digging potatoes that are not totally separating from the vines, the shaking on the divider may eventually cause the tuber to drop off and bruise. If this is common you may be digging too premature. Adjusting the divider roller may allow these potatoes to drop sooner. The next issue could be that your potatoes are dropping onto the rails of the divider and then bouncing to the secondary chain. This slight hesitation and following drop can cause damage. By reducing the height of the divider chain or laying it down on the front of the secondary (done easily by removing the front roller guides) you can usually correct this. The third possibility is that both the secondary and divider are moving at different speeds. Be careful to make sure the divider and secondary chains are operating at the same speed, otherwise scrapping can occur. This is especially the case if you have dropped the front roller guides. Get more information at
www.sensorwireless.com.
Smart Spud Tip # 4
" My harvester has a blower unit. I've adjusted the chain speeds and everything runs really good. I just got word from the plant however, that my bruise free was 75%, what's the problem? "
First, perform some quick tests to be sure you didn't miss a crucial adjustment such as the pitch on the nose roller or digger plate. If that were fine I would then turn my attention to the blower itself. In some cases this can cause considerable damage. If the pitch of the blower is not adjusted properly it can sometimes blow the smaller of lighter potatoes directly into the back wall of the harvester. You want to be sure to also look at the blower speed. All youwant is a blower speed that will help to clean vines and dirt, not "float" potatoes.
Smart Spud Tip # 5
" I have heard that it is important to make sure the rear cross chain is running at optimum speed. My windrower works fine but it doesn't seem to load up the cross chain under any condition. "
This is really important. The rear cross is really the only transfer area on both harvesters and windrowers where potatoes drop a good distance, change speed and direction, and have a significant opportunity to roll and bounce without any dirt or vines to cushion them. The speed of this chain must be adjusted to accommodate varied field conditions such as moisture, volume, and variety. Different speeds are required for different harvesters and especially between that of a windrower and a harvester. A good point to remember is that a harvester is for separation and cleaning and the windrower is only used to lift and move over. You do not need to have extremely clean potatoes being placed in a windrow. There are also changes in speed between two and four row windrowers. Several products are available to help to gauge optimum chain speeds in this area. You want a condition where by potatoes are dropping on other potatoes, moving away from the secondary chain and moving slow enough that little bouncing and space between potatoes can be seen. In a windrower, where the potatoes are falling to the ground, make sure they fall the shortest distance possible and that they are almost touching each other in a "chain link" fashion. Potato on potato is a good thing. Find out more at
www.sensorwireless.com.
Smart Spud Tip #6
" I'm digging a big crop of potatoes and I've noticed that there are some whole and chopped up potatoes behind the harvester and windrowers. What can I do? "
Just as you need to change speeds when digging a big crop, sometimes there are many other issues that can develop. Even when you're not into heavy volumes you may occasionally see this happen throughout the harvest period. Most time this can be caused by roll back or "push back" on the rear cross chain. Sometimes potatoes rolling between the primary and secondary, as well, also cause it. Adjustments recommended in Reality Check # 3 would help prevent this problem in that area. If the problem exists at the cross chain then different things can be done to prevent this. First, it is always a good idea to install a cross bar under the secondary about 1 inch outside the edge of the rear cross chain. This can be something as simple as a metal rod covered in a PVC tube. Make sure it does not interfere too much with the secondary chain. Often some guy's may even extend the secondary over the cross chain a few more inches, but this is not necessary. These adjustments will prevent roll back and push back. I would then suggest that the speed of the rear cross chain be looked at. Many times this chain is the cause of significant bruise damage in harvesters and especially windrowers.
Smart Spud Tip # 7
" I have an AirVac harvester and I think I'm getting some bruising in the vacuum area. What should I do? "
These are good harvesters but like anything else need to be adjusted under varied conditions. Wireless sensors can be used to move the same as a regular potato through these areas and can provide all sorts of information on what's happening inside the vacuum. If you were seeing impacts over threshold, I would look at a couple of things. First, don't be scared to let a little dirt build up inside the blower. This rounds out the corners and some even say makes these units more efficient. Second, look at padding the bar running horizontally across the intake at the hood itself (any area where impact is occurring is typically characterized by a "shined" appearance). A piece of conveyor belt or No Bruze/Bruise Guard may be just what the doctor ordered.
Smart Spud Tip # 8
" I'm already maximizing my bruise free incentives, so why do I need to use technology to try to improve it? "
Smart Spud identifies areas that can be attributed to bruise damage, but it is also a great efficiency and awareness tool. Maximizing bruise free incentives is a great way to increase crop value and is probably one of the only real variables that you as a producer can control and directly improve upon. Remember that Smart Spud is a performance-monitoring tool not just an impact detection device. Using the technology as only an impact detection device is under utilizing it's full value and potential. The instant real time functionality of the Smart Spud allows users to view all aspects of handling during potato harvest and maximize harvester and operator efficiency, as well. By evaluating your equipments performance you can maintain bruise free incentives to a high level and get the most out of your equipment while eliminating the guesswork. This can be responsible for reducing harvest period, reducing downtime and helping to determine maintenance requirements before problems can develop. Best of all it can provide you peace of mind that you are doing all you can to get the best return from your potato crop.
Contact David McNally for more information.
