SIMEZA Silos: The turnkey solution for your grain storage plant

Almost 50 years manufacturing and installing silos all over the world, certify the experience of this European company. Farmers Review Africa (FRA) speaks to Pablo García, SIMEZA Chief Sales Manager on various aspects of grain storage silos

FRA: Please explain a brief history of Simeza and your core business

Pablo: SIMEZA has been manufacturing storage silos for cereals, flours and other industrial products for over 45 years. It is one of the pioneer Silo companies in Europe with broad experience in the design, production and installation of corrugated steel sheet silos for industrial, agricultural and farm uses. Matching our value proposition (#everywhereintheworld), you can find SIMEZA silos throughout the five continents.

FRA: There are many grain storage silos out there what is your unique selling point ?

Pablo: SIMEZA silos are designed in a modular way so that they can be assembled quickly. In addition, the high quality materials used in production makes them highly resistant in all types of environments, assuring the conservation of all types of grains.

Our silos are manufactured with S-350GD - Z600 high tensile steel sheets, which means a zinc protection of 300 gr/m2 on each side of the sheet. For saline environments and adverse weather conditions, it offers a plus of safety to the silo.

At SIMEZA we work with a very smooth wave on the sheet, which allows grains with a higherthan-average moisture percentage not to adhere to the walls of the silo, thus avoiding product loss and grain germination. In some facilities in Africa, the drying process may not be as efficient as in Europe, which can be a problem, when mixing varieties of grain and leaving it wet for days in contact with a steel wall, which could lead to rust.

FRA: What is the range of Grain silos that you provide to the market?

Pablo:At SIMEZA we design and manufacture flat bottom silos, hopper bottom silos, agricultural silos, tanks, and a wide range of accessories for silos, for agricultural, industrial, commercial and strategic applications such as big farms, inland storage facilities, grain terminals, industrial plants feed with cereals such as flour mills, feed mills, rice mills, oil mills, and biofuel facilities. SIMEZA silos cover a wide range of models from 2,5 to 32,10 meters in diameter and from 8 to 25.000 m³ individual capacity.

FRA: What is the scope of maintenance package that comes with your products?

Pablo: As a result of the strong growth of our company’s activity and faithful to our commitment to continuous improvement, we have implemented an integrated management system basing on the international standards ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environment) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), moreover, the other standards of Social Accountability, according to which we assume the commitment to adopt a set of basic principles, applicable to all our products and processes. Along with this, SIMEZA offers an 18-month guarantee on all its products, as well as a use and maintenance manual, with recommendations from our technical team for correct use of the silos.

FRA: In a nutshell, what does SIMEZA’s turnkey Grain silos solution for the African farming business entail?

Pablo: Our main asset is the optimization of the installation together with the plans and loads of the civil works, plus the manufacture of silos and accessories, transport and supervision, and if the client requests it, we also take care of the assembly. Furthermore, and through agreements with partners in the agribusiness sector, SIMEZA can offer complete storage plants, from engineering to commissioning, with all the necessary elements (excluding civil works).

FRA: Can you share with our readers about the latest innovations in Grain Storage systems that farmers should look forward to in 2023?

Pablo: Without a doubt, the automation of all grain storage management. In other words, through the same software, being able to determine the humidity, temperature and level of grain that we have in our entire facility, divided by silos.

With this data we can automate the ventilation or filling/emptying process. This allows us to have a higher performance and minimize losses as much as possible. As for the silos themselves, our technical team is continuously looking for points of improvement in their statics, optimizing each of its components in order to offer more stability and more durability against any external and internal inclemency.

FRA: In what ways has SIMEZA adopted technology to improve the performance and productivity of its products?

Pablo: In 2022 SIMEZA has modernized and has automated the manufacturing process of the sheets, roofs and reinforcements which compose the silos, with the acquisition of cutting-edge technology for the cutting, sheet metal punching and bending processes. More recently, we have acquired a complete cutting line, something that allows us to be self-sufficient in the entire process. All this, together with the management software and analysis of the processes of this technology, allows us to spectacularly optimize the cost and manufacturing times, something that, in the end, is translated into better prices for the client, without a reduction in the end product quality.

FRA: What mistakes should farmers avoid when purchasing Grain storage systems?

Pablo: The first mistake, and perhaps the most decisive, is to look at the purchase or investment price of the projects. Sometimes the price can be decisive, but making a decision based only on that, can be fatal.

You have to trust a company with demonstrable know-how and experience, and that accompanies and advises the client at all times through the process. The silo manufacturer cannot disassociate himself from the project once he has sold his items, something that customers do not take into account, and that can be crucial for a facility to function correctly, without additional costs in the plant.

After all, silos are great storage “cans”, but an error or faulty assembly can ruin a tender. Another common mistake in grain storage is to think that a facility can work perfectly in another location, knowing that it is for the same type of grain.

There are many factors that determine how a silo should be built and designed (degree of slenderness), and many variables that modify the calculations of its structure, such as wind speed, the snow load that the roof can suffer, or the seismicity of the area where the storage plant is located. In addition, there are other factors more typical of the silo, such as its diameter or height, which make it more suitable for some locations, but are strongly discouraged in others.

In short, the price is not always the variable to take into account, and SIMEZA recommends always using professional companies. A correct advice at the right time and a serious and professional service is synonymous with trust and the best possible guarantee, therefore, it is no coincidence that SIMEZA has remained a top company in the grain storage sector for almost 50 years.