The RD1 subsidiary has installed the blender to enable faster delivery of stock feed blends. The company guarantees to deliver the exact ratio of blends.
National logistics manager Dene Sambells says the blender is superior to anything else in New Zealand.
“The blender provides a high-tech approach to mixing and will enable us to deliver product three times as fast as the current blender. We can guarantee mixing the exact ratios required by customers, and we can include the minerals in the mix and have this on-farm promptly.”
Any restriction on turnaround may be trucks returning from deliveries rather than the blending process.
“We used to mix about 30 tonnes per hour but with this automated system we expect to treble our efficiencies and turn a truck around every 20 minutes, so yes... the problem could be truck numbers.”
The Tauriko plant normally runs five days a week but during busy periods the operation runs to match demand. The blender fills directly into auger, blower and bulk trucks and when the feed arrives on farm it can be fed straight to stock – no further mixing or handling required.
The blender will service Waikato and Bay of Plenty region and the company is considering buying more blenders.
