BinMaster is a division of Garner Industries, a diverse manufacturing company with a 64-year history located in Lincoln, NE (800-278-4241). Originally established in 1953 as a small tool and die company, during the mid-1960s the company developed an automated grain bin level monitoring system, which gave birth to the BinMaster line of level control technologies.
BinMaster and Garner Industries employ more than 130 individuals in its plastic injection molding, mold manufacturing, CNC machining, and BinMaster level sensor manufacturing operations. The company’s quality management processes are ISO 9001:2015– certified, and it now sells products worldwide in diverse industries including agriculture, ethanol, construction, plastics, cement, mining, biofuels, and food processing.
Grain Journal spoke recently with Scott Hudson, executive vice president of sales and marketing, about the company’s new products and what’s hot in the industry today.
What's New
“BinMaster recent products include the BinView™ web application and Binventory™ software for managing grain inventory. Both are designed to deliver real-time inventory data. Binventory is installed on a LAN, WAN, or VPN, while the BinView web app is accessible on any smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer with an internet connection.
“They integrate with BinMaster sensors such as a SmartBob, non-contact radar, or 3D scanner, which are mounted on bins to provide continuous level measurement and make data available wherever you are and whenever you need it. Products like these bring worker safety and new technology to the forefront while helping grain operations attract a millennial workforce to local grain operations.
“Flow and no-flow detection is another hot topic among companies in the grain industry–particularly for manufacturers of animal feed or food for human consumption. When FSMA compliance became a growing customer concern, BinMaster developed a new flow/no flow sensor designed to detect even the tiniest trickle of flow of grains, additives, and fine powders. This sensor is used as a preventive control in fighting cross contamination. It has proven to sense small amounts of material flow, when a slide gate has not closed properly.”
What’s Hot
“‘I need more accurate inventory,’ is a common concern stated in many requests BinMaster receives from the grain industry today. Accuracy is a concern for ethanol plants who need to monitor for compliance, for large companies or cooperatives that need to appropriately value grain stored across many locations, and especially for storage facilities that are trying to squeeze every bushel into every bin during harvest. The need for accuracy is coupled with a desire for more wireless options and remote monitoring capabilities.
“Non-contact technologies are becoming increasingly popular as well. Sensors like the NCR-80 non-contact radar and 3DLevelScanner have become the most popular for grain operations.
“The 3D scanner is popular because it is the only sensor that can measure and map the material surface for the best volume accuracy in large bins. 3D is great for extremely large diameter bins or in milling operations where grain or flour tend to pile and discharge unevenly. The advent of 80 GHz non-contact radar has made the NCR-80 a top contender in grain silos where single point measurement is needed. Both the 3D scanner and 80GHz radar perform reliably in heavy dust and offer a wide variety of data communications and mounting options, making it flexible enough for grain, feed, seed, ethanol, and milling operations.”
Company Highlights
“This year, our facility expanded from 75,000 to 115,000 square feet with a 40,000-sq.-ft. addition completed in September.
“In October, Garner Industries received both the Star Safety Award from the Nebraska Safety Council and the Nebraska Manufacturer of 2017 award for mid-sized manufacturers. Plus, the company is in the midst of some very exciting system upgrades to enhance the customer experience from the first point of contact, to placing and processing an order, to getting information from our website.”
