(July 19, 2011)

Productivity is a key component for any successful business and farming in today's highly competitive agricultural industry is no exception. Every aspect in the farming process requires careful and precise planning, from soil preparation to harvesting, and innovation, automation and the latest technology are essential to meet modern more sophisticated markets.

Precision farming is the name of the game at Diepkuil Farm in Bothaville where the complete reliability of the grease- and maintenance-free SKF Agri Hubs for disc harrows with independent discs have reduced time and equipment costs and improved productivity substantially.

Diepkuil owner Deon Bergh and his management team, Frans Jonker, Jan Marais and a small highly skilled labour force, manage a streamlined, ship-shape operation. This beautiful and immaculately managed family farm, established in 1991, produces mainly grain but peanuts and sunflowers are also harvested. "Precision throughout the entire process is of the utmost importance", explains Frans. "The old adage, 'you reap what you sow' is still so relevant because a good end result can only be achieved if everything is done right from the get-go. A high yield always remains our end goal because this has a direct impact on our profitability so if you don't plan properly right from the start, you cannot expect to be profitable. We need to save on every single aspect of our input costs. The planning list is endless - detailed soil evaluation, correct soil preparation, preparation of land immediately after harvesting, regular maintenance of farming implements and finally, and very importantly, keeping up with the latest farming innovations. We are always on the lookout for ways to cut input costs by sourcing the most cost effective options available to ensure that we keep ahead of the game".

We recently built silos which provide grain storage and the farm uses the second largest combine harvester in the range, the Case International 8120; Diepkuil was also the first farm in the Bothaville district to use this harvester".

To illustrate how precisely the Diepkuil operation is monitored, Frans cites the example of planter buckets where only calibration between 98% and 100% is accepted. "We pride ourselves on the fact that after planting tens of thousands of seeds per hectare, we only have a discrepancy of a few kilograms!"

"Always on the lookout for ways of working smarter, we have replaced two tractors with one larger track machine, which delivers savings in terms of maintenance and labour as we now need two less drivers whose skills can be utilised elsewhere on the farm".

Frans says that Diepkuil's small, dedicated and well trained workforce is highly committed who take pride in their jobs. "We take great care in the training of our workforce and keep them well informed so that they are on top of everything at all times. They realise that working smart means personal profit for them and they are attentive to and quick to eradicate any unnecessary wastage."

Frans continues, "Planting so many hectares is quite a task and we only have a small window period of approximately two to three weeks to get the job done. During this 'golden time' we have to get our seeds into the ground. When we plant, we cannot stand still and efficient planting is at the heart of our production. So we simply cannot afford stoppages due to equipment failure during the planting process; there is no time to fix any breakdowns in the field. For this reason, everything must be right before we start planting because only then do we know we will not struggle on the land. Across the board reliability is a prerequisite. The fact that we operate in very harsh conditions where dust, sand and mud ingress is a common cause of bearing failure, is an added complication which frequently interrupts our planting process; we have to repair the problem either in the field with our mobile workshop or back at base.

When we heard from our local co-op about the SKF Agri Hubs' excellent time and cost saving advantages for independent tillage discs, we decided to purchase the units for our planters".

According to SKF Key Accounts Manager Commercial Vehicles and Agricultural, Thinus Lindeque, SKF Agri Hubs, with lifelong lubrication, are the ideal solution for disc harrows with independent discs. Thinus explains, "SKF Agri Hubs are proving their success by meeting the demand for quality, reliability, productivity, cost reduction and environmental care in the agricultural industry. The Agri Hubs are fitted with a special seal that has been successfully tested under extreme dust and mud conditions. The hermetic sealing ensures that no lubricant loss will occur over the complete life span of this plug-and-play unit. The "mud block" seal and special labyrinth, central to the sealing principle, provides dynamic sealing against stones, mud and dust. A special cup and O-ring system provides the static sealing of the disc side in the SKF Agri Hubs unit, making it impervious to dust or mud ingress. These outstanding characteristics render the SKF Agri Hub extremely reliable and virtually maintenance free".

Comparing SKF Agri Hubs with conventional solutions for disc harrows, where discs are mounted independently, Thinus says that a lubrication nipple is fitted on each disc to re-lubricate the bearings. "Frequent lubrication, often daily, is required because the disc harrow loses lubricant and this is a time consuming and costly process for the farmer who first has to purge sand, dust, etc., from the hub by pumping in fresh grease until the dirt pops out of the hub. This also leads to undesirable grease leakage into the soil which has been monitored to be as high as 500kg of lubricant per machine per decade of soil cultivation".

"With a total of 30 SKF Agri Hubs on Diepkuil's three planters, we have substantially increased our productivity as we are able to plant more hectares per day without any failures, averaging 150 ha more per day than we did before installing the Agri Hubs," notes Frans.

"Apart from eliminating downtime, the savings are exponential if you take into account that we no longer have to keep spares or take spares to the field. The fact that the Agri Hubs do not need any lubrication, is an added saving in terms of both time and cost". Looking after the environment is of the utmost importance to Frans and his team and they do not tolerate damage to the environment. "We take pride in responsible farming across the board, for example, we carefully monitor the use of resources such as water, fertilizer, etc. and the fact that SKF's Agri Hubs do not require lubrication eliminates the risk of soil contamination".

Frans says that they also use other SKF products on their farming equipment at Diepkuil. "In fact, all the bearings on our equipment are SKF and we are completely satisfied with SKF product quality, reliability and performance. We do not buy cheap products and SKF bearings are not in the low price bracket but because of their unrivalled quality and reliability, our total cost of ownership is reduced and we are guaranteed return on our investment in no time. So what initially seems to be more expensive is actually a saving in the long run".

Commenting on service, Frans says ultimately they buy from people as this is what gives peace of mind. "SKF agricultural distributor, Bolt & Engineering, looks after our needs and interests professionally and they are always available to offer sound advice, exceptional after sales service and excellent maintenance. We know that if we have a problem, we have someone to turn to who will attend to our requirements immediately. The unfailing quality and reliability of SKF Agri Hubs, have met and even exceeded our expectations", concludes Frans.

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