Ginners Marketplace COTTON
COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.
Seed House Safety And Maintenance Tips Elevated seed houses are valuable for short-term seed storage, wet seed storage and gins with limited yard space. Design improvements allow overhead seed houses to be an efficient method for loading trucks from flat-storage houses and gins. When fully loaded, a double-hopper seed house can weigh 200,000 pounds or more. Structural integrity is critical. Volatile weather can put older seed houses at risk, especially those not properly maintained. Through the years, moisture and chemicals from seed along with humidity cause the inevitable — rust and corrosion. Since the damage primarily occurs inside the seed house, it is out of sight and mind. If a structural failure occurs, personnel are at risk of injury. All cotton gin managers should review their overhead seed house safety and maintenance procedures before the start of the 2024 cotton ginning season. Observe Safety Checklist ■ Never go beneath a seed hopper that contains seed. ■ Provide proper fall protection for all ladders and catwalks. ■ Never enter the seed trailer or climb on the side walls of the trailer while beneath a hopper that contains seed. ■ Post decals, “DANGER – DO NOT ENTER AREA BELOW HOPPER DOORS WHEN SEED IS IN STORAGE HOUSE.” These are free from your local ginning association or from www.cliffgranberrycorp.com ■ Contact your ginning association or loss control representative to get a copy of the “Cottonseed System Safety Policy” for employees, visitors and outside contractors, such as seed haulers. This is also available at www.cliffgranberrycorp.com. ■ Be sure to use all other known gin safety procedures daily.
Cotton Ginners Marketplace
Maintenance And Repair Tips
Benefits Of The Catwalk Best industry practices include using a trailer-viewing catwalk mounted on the outside of the vertical columns, about 9.5 feet above the driveway. This structure provides a good vantage point to see into the tops of the trailers to determine when to open and close the hopper doors. Jim Granberry, president of Cliff Granberry Corp., contributed this article. Email jim@cliffgranberrycorp.com or call 972-381-8899.
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‘Silver Lining’ In Cotton Gin Waste Cotton gin waste, also known as cotton gin trash, is a byproduct of the cotton ginning process and occurs when the cotton fibers are separated from the seed boll. For cotton gin waste, the treasure is its hidden potential to transform silver ions into silver nanoparticles and create a new hybrid material that could be used to add antimicrobial properties to consumer products, like aerogels, packaging or composites. Silver nanoparticles are highly sought-after products in the
SEED BLOWERS
■ All proper safety precautions including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) should be taken by all personnel who perform maintenance and repairs. ■ Clean out all seed. ■ Clean hopper panels to remove seed oil. ■ Smooth the inside surfaces of the hopper panels again. ■ Carefully examine the entire seed house for stress fractures and loose hardware, especially if industrial vibrators have been used. ■ Remove rust and corrosion.
An informative email summary of your gin’s daily performance. Text 662-809-9730 for an example report 20 COTTON FARMING | JULY 2024
Stocked at strategic locations throughout the cotton belt Call Jim 972.381.8899 | Cliffgranberrycorp.com
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