RED DEER — A simple system to prevent air seeders from plugging is the brain child of a young inventor from Abbotsford, B.C.
Brian Cruson head of Airguard Inc. is a mechanical engineer who is always looking for new ways to improve farm equipment. His ingenuity won him an innovation award at the Red Deer, Alta. Agri-Trade Equipment Expo held Nov. 11-14.
The Airguard blockage prevention system is attached to equipment and uses the oil from the tractor and recirculates heat through the radiator. It lowers humidity and increases air temperature by about 10 C to heat up the air stream in seed drills and keep them from plugging.
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“It prevents build up inside the internal components of the air drill,” he said.
Cruson has a long history in agri-business. His grandfather founded Dutch Industries and he spent 12 years designing openers for the company before he and his wife, Kimberly, struck out on their own where they distribute their own products around the world from Abbotsford.
In 2012 Airguard won an innovation award at the Red Deer show for designing a seed brake that controls the air flow in the drill.
“Our main focus was to improve the air systems on the air drills so we are trying to find innovative solutions to improve seed placement, get better air flow on air drills. I think that is one area that could really use a lot of work,” he said.
This latest product was in response to a common complaint.
“We had looked at the concept in Australia where they do a similar kind of thing and then we redesigned the whole thing,” he said.
“The idea was probably a full year from the time it was all figured it out. We knew it was a problem,” he said.
His system is available commercially and he also sells
drones and infrared imaging for crop scouting.
He believes there is always room for new inventions.
“I think that is how ag moves forward, people finding innovative solutions to problems,” he said.
Contact barbara.duckworth@producer.com
