Once the decision to invest on a silo facility is made, there are some things to consider before starting to build:
Choice of geographic location. The silo facility can be located at the site, the nearest town to the site, the nearest port or railway station.
Choice of physical location. We need to identify the bearing capacity of the soil and the groundwater level, analyze the contours of the area, assess the energy supply, roads, paths, and prevailing winds (to prevent environmental pollution).
Design. When designing a silo plant, we should consider the following criteria:
- It needs to be compact and operational.
- Flexible, allowing alternative processes.
- With open spaces and access, in view of future expansion.
- It should allow the automation of processes, such as grain drying.
- It should have low operating costs (staff, electricity, fuel).
- It should also have a low impact on the environment
Safety. To size the facilities we must take into account:
- Production area.
- Crop production and total production.
- Harvest timing.
- Harvest humidity.
- Harvester type and working capacity.
- Number of harvesters.
- Marketing strategy.
- Main objective is: the preparation or storage.
- Internal transport (trucks with trailers, trucks, hoppers).
- Specific weight of most frequently processed grains.
- Processing of seeds.
- Main means of load (truck or rail).
- Quality grading.
- Electricity system.
- Weather conditions (design of ventilation).
- Cost / benefit ratio.
By evaluating all these items, we can define the number and capacity of the equipment and systems that integrate the silo facility.
