Page 32 - 2021 Virtual Field Day

32 SPECIAL PUBLICATION Thursday March 18, 2021 .
VIRTUAL FIELD DAY

Rening

farm

work is

their task

BY ALAN WELBURN

HE Praters, the
name behind the
family behind one
Tof West Australia's
foremost manufacturers
of farm machinery, have
never been known to rest on
their laurels.
But they could.
After all the family-run
DE Engineers, launched
in 1965, has morphed into
an ag sector powerhouse
with a sizeable, perma-
nent workforce, extensive
inventory and numerous
awards to underscore their
wit and service.
Since its inception under
Des Prater's hand, the busi-
ness has stuck steadfast to
its vision to "deliver the most
advanced and reliable grain
handling products to farm". IT'S RETURNING: DE Engineers has restarted production of an updated version of its enormously popular Murray Sheep Handler.
Along the way it has
become WA's foremost
silo manufacturer and
incumbent boss Kevin
Prater oversees a company
straddling two key locations
with a purpose-built silo
complex opening in 2010 in
Grass Valley complementing
the main facility in Bellevue.
Mr Prater is understanda-
bly proud of the company's
roll call of products.
ere are silos of all
sizes, each cleverly designed SMART MACHINERY: The WA-based DE Engineers is FEEDING HELP: The AIR FLOW: Using aeration in silos can help keep grain
with e ciency and safety noted as a silo manufacturer but other equipment, such auto-sheep feeder has cool and dry and avoid spoiling, according to Kevin
in mind. as its Seed Cleaner, are keenly sought. numerous advantages. Prater.
DE Engineers has also
given the market feed bins, silage issues will take heart eventually selecting three by DE Engineers before "Immediately my wife said will get dry then they walk
aeration devices, remote from DE Engineers and its "best hours" to run at night production stopped in 1990 'that's not good'. away to get a drink so all the
control clutches and grain Safe Grain 8 controller, an for optimal introduction of as the business concen- "I said what do you mean? sheep get a feed.
cleaners, stock feeders, in-demand addition to a silo. the coolest air. trated on grain storage It's quick and will do the job " e response has been
auto sheep feeders, Drought "Bigger headers taking Another keenly sought and handling. but she kept saying no and I remarkable.
Buster water tanks and the o grain faster has placed a product is DE Engineers' But Mr Prater said got so frustrated I asked why, "We have guys here who
Murray Sheep Handler. focus on harvest e ciency Aero-duct ducting system, resurging interest in sheep what's wrong with my plan? have stopped using other
"Product development and grain storage," Mr which pushes air to the handling and a rise in re- "She said troughs waste feed units and replaced
has been inspired by our Prater said. bottom of the cone. quests for the Murray Sheep too much grain and you them with ours because
customers and as such " e basic plan is to store "Aeration keeps your grain Handler, has forced a rethink have to remember that at they've heard of its success
it's highly rewarding to be grain at the right tempera- cool and dry, avoids spoiling with production under way the time at DE Engineers we and then they see if for
one of the most awarded ture, keep weevils out and and stops weevil activity," of new, modi ed versions were working on the devel- themselves."
agricultural manufacturers solve the dampness problem Mr Prater said. that promise to deliver even opment of a unique feed tray e auto-feeder features
with "New Invention" and so the grain can command "Some of our customers greater e ciencies. that minimises feed waste so two open troughs with
"Innovation Awards" for a the best price and seed grain have eradicated weevil e weather-proof auto they are a lot more e cient. restricted feed either side of
number of our products," Mr kept in good condition. infestation completely by feeder, borne of a customer's "We have found bigger a central structure housing
Prater said. " e controller will knock using our custom designed request and a chat between sheep will come and knock a plastic pipe with a cen-
DE Engineers continually down grain temperature GrainSafe Aeration control- Mr Prater and his wife, has smaller sheep away from the tre-less screw.
seeks improvement in its at harvest, then maintain ler." been a real success story. feeder and they get a gutful It is solar powered, using
products and services, Mr the grain at the optimum Sheep producers have "A customer did not want while the smaller ones can a 24-volt system housed in a
Prater o ered. temperature by forcing in not been overlooked with to buy a feeder from Victo- miss out. control box at one end of the
Sort of being content to be only cool, dry air (below 80 DE's so-called Murray Sheep ria; he wanted us to build it " e smaller ones have to feeder where run times can
discontent, if you will. per cent humidity)." Handler and its auto-feeder locally," Mr Prater said. scratch around in what's left be set via Bluetooth from an
" e continuous assess- In essence the controller winning friends in ever "When I went home and behind and you can end up iPhone. e plastic pipe is
ment of our range of prod- captures ambient outside widening markets. told the wife I laid out my with shy feeders. connected to a silo or eld
ucts keeps us at the forefront readings and will run e Murray Sheep Han- plan for its design and the "With our unique design bin and grain dispensed
of innovation," he said. continuously for up to 72 dler, invented in the mid-80s aim was to put a little solar you can actually shut it through the pipe on-com-
Grain growers anxious hours when rst installed by its namesake Neil Murray, panel motor in a trough to down so the sheep have to mand.
about crop spoil through before scaling down and was later manufactured feed sheep automatically. use their tongue to eat which www.deengineers.com.au