World Grain - March 2017 - 108

SUPPLIER NEWS

Bühler 'satisfied' with results as earnings hold steady in 2016
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stable despite challenging market conditions such as volatile
currencies, low raw material prices for oil and wheat, and political
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Dec. 31, 2016, was CHF 143 million, which was even with the
previous year.
"For a company based in Switzerland, 2016 marked a real
proof point considering the Euro/Swiss franc shift a year ago,"
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Both business areas of Bühler - Grains & Food and Advanced
Materials - experienced growth in 2016. Grains & Food's order
intake was CHF 1.956 billion and its turnover was CHF 1.873
billion, down 1% compared to the previous year. Advanced
Materials order intake was CHF 554 million and turnover totaled
CHF 537 million, up 9% from a year ago. The group's performance
was strongly supported by its customer service business. The
service business showed higher growth and recorded a turnover of
CHF 578 million, which was 7% higher than last year. The service
share of turnover now accounts for 24%.
The group continued to reinvest its cash into strategic

applications and markets. Market positions were strengthened
by rolling out new technologies, process solutions, and services,
and by adding new production capacities. In September 2016,
Bühler opened a factory for rice processing equipment in Vietnam
that currently employs 200. The company announced in late
2016 its plan to modernize its facilities located in Switzerland.
The modernization program is aimed to create a best-in-class
production and logistics, innovation, research and training,
Bühler said.
Intake in 2015 shrank by 4%, it increased in 2016 by 3% to
CHF 2.54 billion - a bridge of 7 percentage points. Turnover
grew by 2% to nearly CHF 2.45 billion. Consequently, the already
high order backlog reached a record high of CHF 1.6 billion.
R&D investments grew by CHF 7 million to CHF 109 million,
corresponding to a share of turnover of 4.4%. Bühler signed
a partnership with Bosch to develop future IoT solutions. The
company engaged with the start-up accelerator MassChallenge and
won the Nestlé Research Award. With its Networking Days held in
August 2016, Bühler brought together 750 leaders of the global grain
and feed industry to discuss and develop sustainable solutions that
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Sukup dryer, sweep receive ASABE recognition
SHEFFIELD, IOWA, U.S. - Two new products from Sukup
Manufacturing Co. have been recognized by the American Society
of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) as among the 50
outstanding innovations of 2016.
The award-winning products are the Mixed-Flow Grain Dryer and
the Zero-Entry Commercial Paddle Sweep. The Mixed-Flow Grain
Dryer combines the use of mixing/heating chambers with vacuum
cooling technology. The Zero-Entry Commercial Paddle Sweep is a
grain unloading machine that sweeps grain from large bins without
requiring the operator to enter the bin.
The awards were presented Feb. 14 at the ASABE Agricultural
Equipment Technology Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
To be eligible, products must have been introduced and made
commercially available between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2016.
A record four products made by the company won awards last
year - the Stirring Machine Gear Motor Delay, U-Trough Hanger
Bearing, QuadraTouch Pro dryer controls, and SMART Loop dryer
operation system.
Sukup's Mixed-Flow Grain Dryer recycles warmed air back
into the dryer, which reduces the amount of fuel needed to reach
the optimum drying temperature. Fuel savings may exceed 25%
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mixing chambers allow more uniform drying of grain, and they are
made of solid sheets instead of perforated material, which eliminates
the need to sweep debris from hard-to-reach upper screens on
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Sukup Mixed-Flow Grain Dryer allows for a single center unloading
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with auger or drag conveyor unloading.
The Zero-Entry Commercial Paddle Sweep's A-frame design
provides horizontal rigidity that prevents the sweep from bending as it
moves through grain and vertical rigidity that allows use in deeper grain.
The A-frame design also helps prevent stalling in the event of a grain
avalanche. Vertical loads on sweeps in large bins may exceed 5,000 lbs./
ft.², requiring tremendous design strength to endure such heavy loads.
108

Above: The Zero-Entry Commercial Paddle Sweep's A-frame design provides
horizontal rigidity that prevents the sweep from bending as it moves
through grain. Below: The Mixed-Flow Grain Dryer combines the use of
mixing/heating chambers with vacuum cooling technology. Photos courtesy
of Sukup Manufacturing Co.
March 2017 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - March 2017

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