Dirty Grain: Balancing ADS Feed Rate and Airflow

A difficult lot may clean better with less feed

A dirty lot may clean better when you ease back the feed. Metra’s ADS separates grain in airflow, including lighter unwanted material. Feed rate and airflow do different jobs; understanding each helps you find settings that suit the grain you need to clean.

Feed controls the amount; airflow controls separation

Feed rate is how much grain enters the cleaner over time. Reducing feed means less material enters in the same amount of time.

Airflow does the separating. Metra’s ADS separates incoming grain into portions, including lighter unwanted material, for cleaning and grading. Changing impeller speed changes the airflow, allowing separation to be tuned to the crop and material. The impeller is the part that produces the airflow.

These are two different adjustments. Reducing feed changes how much material enters. Changing impeller speed changes the air used to separate it. Turning up the air is not the same as easing back the feed.

Match the operating rate to the dirty lot

Metra’s operating experience indicates that heavily contaminated grain may need a lower feed rate to improve cleaning quality. That matters even when you stay with the same crop: a difficult lot can call for a different operating rate.

The tradeoff is straightforward. Lower feed means processing less incoming grain per hour, but it may improve the cleaning job. The useful rate is the one that delivers the separation your material needs—not simply the most grain you can send into the cleaner.

At an arranged demonstration, ask Metra to explain what changes in the cleaned grain and separated material when feed or airflow changes. Connecting an adjustment to the material leaving the machine makes the controls easier to understand. The feed rate and airflow setting should be selected for your grain and the ADS model involved.

Let Metra help choose the settings

Tell Metra which crop you handle and what unwanted material is causing trouble. If you already have an ADS, include the model. Metra helps customers select equipment and settings for their material, so you do not need to work out the starting settings on your own.

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