The successful installation of a complex French ventilation system into a new Aberdeenshire grower unit has cleared the way for the system’s purpose-built UK control process to be made generally available for other similar UK developments.
The French system, chosen by Carden Livestock at Pitcable, Inverurie, to stabilise the incoming air temperature for its new eight-room grower building, draws air into each room through vertical delivery ducts. This means there is no draught at pig level with the extraction process operating below the slats for the efficient removal of contaminated air.
Given that the fitting of the system’s French I-TEK control process would normally have needed installation by French contractors, however, it was decided to seek a more local solution.
I-TEK therefore asked UK-based Farmex to write a new operating programme, using the company’s Dicam system. Farmex already had equipment operating within the Pitcable unit.
“Farmers like the fact that they can use a control system with which they are familiar to regulate the latest developments in ventilation technology,” said Farmex’ Scottish dealer, James Buckingham, adding that since the programme change a reduction in power consumption “is expected”.
In addition, Farmex has now said that it is making the new control system generally available to “marry-in” with other I-TEK installations.
The Pitcable grower house holds a total of 304 pigs, ranging from 7 kg to 40 kg. The house is part of a 570-sow farrow-to-finish unit owned by Patrick Stephen and was put up to replace an old grower house as this was seen to be an area where growth was being checked.
Headline image shows Pitcable unit manager Wayne Ducker (left) with James Buckingham, Farmex dealer for Scotland.