Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 6.2.
Farm to processing handling and transport comparisons of the traditional system and
the PW System (in AU$).
Farm to processing handling and transport comparisons
(figures based on operating on a farm with a minimum of 100 ha and/or 1,000 tonnes hemp straw)
Conventional bale system
Based on moving total 20 t
90 × 225 kg bales 2.4 × 0.9 × 0.8
Module system
Based on 2 × 10 t module
Total 20 t
Action
$ per 20/t
$ per 20/t
Harvest crop into windrows
Chopped length 0.6 m
120
Fibre crop spray defoliant
Approx 10t/ha
30
Rake and windrow × 2 times
Allow to rett stalk
60
Seed crop harvest, stalk remaining
Strip fibre process standing crop
into mobile basket. Total @ $25/t
Cart chopped fibre to module
20 t ($8/t)
Make module
2 × 10 t ($60 per module 1/2 h)
Cost of farm storage and tarp
2 × $50
Pick up module on chain bed truck
2 × 10 t ($75 per module)
Transport to mill and unload
2 × 40 km @ $4.5/km
Cost of module storage
Move module into processor for
1st stage classification
0
500
Rectangle bale 20 t
Total area 2-3 ha @ 7-10 t/ha
450
160
Pick up bales, cart to farm storage
90 bales @ $2/bale
180
120
Unload bales and store
90 bales @ $1.5/bale
135
100
Cost of farm storage
90 bales @ $0.50/bale
45
150
Load flat 40 ft bed truck (1.5 trucks)
90 bales @ $2/bale
180
360
Transport to mill (1.5 trucks)
Loading time/40 km/unload time
450
10
30
Load bales into mill storage
90 bales @ $1.5/bale
135
Cost of bale storage
90 bales @ $1.25/bale
112.5
Move and load bales into processor
90 bales @ $2/bale
180
Process straw to strip fibre level
before clasification
40
Total
2087.5
Total
1460
Rate per tonne
$ 104.38
Rate per tonne
$ 71.50
feed the hurds into the decorticator to separate
the fibre and hurds. A stock conveyor serves to
make the connection between the feeder and
the bale opener.
The bale opener is equipped with a con-
veyor at the entrance and an exit conveyor to
feed the line. At this stage, the conveyor under
the bale opener and hopper feeder transports
all the loose hurds, waste and straw, and the
rocks and soil are extracted to a side line,
where the hurds are aspirated and transported
to a cleaning system.
Transportation is by air. An air separa-
tor puts the material in the cleaning system.
This way of transportation allows the removal
of stones and other foreign material while
aspirating.
The material on the main line enters and
is broken by roller drum crimpers and then
passes through a first shaker and a first tooth
drum. Then a conveyor and a shaker follow,
and afterwards the fibre passes through four
sets of equipment, each set composed of a fine
tooth drum, an inclined shaker and a horizon-
tal shaker.
PW System processing Stage 1 'classifica-
tion' .
The module is picked up by an open
chain bed-type machine called a module feeder
buster. The module feeder buster carries the
