REGINA — A new product from Assiniboia, Sask., harvest equipment maker Flexxifinger makes large surface area sieves aimed at small grains optional on just about all combines.
Ron Wheeler of Flexxifinger says the company’s new Flexxiflow Efficient C Sieve can increase combine capacity in wheat, canola and peas by up to 15 percent.
“The design of the sieves boost threshing system capacity by making better use of every square inch of the separating,” he said.
“You get better use of the fan. It’s kind of like adding more fan. Once the sieves are installed you generally have to lower the fan speed,” said Wheeler.
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While the new sieves are aimed at small grains and oilseeds, they are effective in dry corn and soybeans, says the manufacturer Dave Dietrich.
Wheeler says the snug fitting louvers help to reduce air flow losses around the edges of the sieves, cutting turbulence inside the separating area that can result in crop being carried out or trash ending up the tank.
Rather than having straight fingers on the sieves’ tops, the new product has a curved shape which retains short straw pieces and pod shells on the top of the sieve where it can be expelled from the combine.
“We believe you get cleaner grain in the hopper, which means you can harvest faster and use more of the combine’s capacity,” said Wheeler.
On the underside of the louvers, the tabs that catch the wind from the fans are bent into a v-shape. Air is able to pass around these deflectors more easily, with less restriction.
“The result is higher flows across the whole sieve, at moderate fan speeds,” he said.
By cutting the fan speed and evening the flow, less crop is blown out the back of the combine in flow hotspots within the separator.
The company says it provides the units for most makes and models of combines and builds them as options offered by some dealers and manufacturers.
For more information contact Wheeler at 306-642-4555. The company’s website doesn’t yet list the product, however further contact information is available at www.flexxifinger.com.
