Müller Agri in the 1980s should not require replacement for at least another ten years.
However, terminal manager Uwe Schiemann insists that a working lifetime in excess of 30 years is actually a must if a reasonable return is to be made.
“We use one of the Buhlers to both load and discharge grain and feedstuffs because we have limited berth availability and cannot segregate these activities. Because of this, neither grabs nor screw unloaders were realistic alternatives, despite their clear advantage in using less energy than pneumatic equipment,” observes Schiemann.
The whole J Müller Agri operation is predicated on achieving discharge rates not exceeding 600tph on one unloader and 800tph on the other, since these are the upper limits that its takeaway conveyor system has been designed for. Were higher discharge rates needed, says Schiemann, then the terminal would either upgrade to grabs or purchase continuous ship unloaders.
Finally, although the equipment is maintained by the terminal’s own technicians, Buhler’s after-sales support has lived up to expectations, while the unloaders themselves have performed as per the original guarantees, prompting Schiemann to note that his company would probably go back to the same manufacturer when it came to future acquisitions.