Yanmar’s 3TNV industrial diesel engines are not only renowned for their superior power delivery and fuel efficiency – these engines last! Longevity was just one of the considerations for Australian auger manufacturer Grainline when they started looking at diesel engines for their grain handling machines. Professionals demand engines that last and Yanmar is the answer to those demands day in, day out.
After 45 years in business, Grainline is perhaps considered one of Australia’s preeminent agricultural equipment manufacturers when it comes of grain handling equipment.
Based and manufacturing in Wagga Wagga and with a depot in Western Australia, these guys know their augers – and they know the power that’s necessary to move high volumes of grain efficiently. “The grain business has just gotten bigger and bigger over the decades,” explained Glen Smith from Grainline.
“As grain handling has increased, silos and storage facilities have also gotten bigger and that has meant building the equipment that can deal with those volumes.”
Grainline has traditionally used petrol engine options in their stationary, transportable and self-propelled augers. However recent demands from customers saw the need for a diesel alternative – enter the Yanmar 3TNV series!
Diesel power in demand from commercial customers
“We had customer expectations from professional users around longevity of the engine because of the hours they were putting on the machines in any given year,” Glen said.
“There were also some WH&S requirements around reducing risks of combustible fuels, so a diesel engine delivers on that too.”
Grain augers generally get a hard life. They sit outside all year in many cases and are expected to work hard during the harvest months which are usually the hottest parts of summer. It’s not unusual for these machines to be operated in very dusty, 45 degree Celsius-plus days in Australia’s wheatbelt districts. Yanmar’s 3TNV engines are no stranger to tough work environments and Grainline has applied both the 3TNV76 (29hp @ 3,600rpm) and the 3TNV88 (37hp @ 3,000rpm) to custom auger setups so far.
Famous for their quick starting characteristics, Grainline customers will no doubt be impressed for years to come with other Yanmar advantages.
While they stand out in performance, these engines are meek in dimensions and weight with the 3TNV76 coming in at just over the 90kg mark and the 3TNV88 only tipping the scales just above 110kg.
The TNV range of industrial Yanmar diesels are about as diverse in variants as the industries they serve, with both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions. Depending on horsepower and application needs, these vertical water-cooled diesels come in indirect injection, direct injection and common rail injection fuel delivery models.
Grainline admits however that one of the biggest things going for the Yanmar is its “turn key” out of the box readiness.
Power Equipment prides its delivery process on the fact that all Yanmar industrial engines are started, run and bench-tested to specifications at the company’s Melbourne facility before they are delivered to the customer.
It’s understandable that Grainline would like this “ready to go” factor in the Yanmars, given that all their auger systems are delivered to customers ready to work.
“We had to do minimal changes to our existing design to incorporate the Yanmar which was a big advantage also,” said Glen, “and the Yanmars have a range of horsepower that we can grow into if necessary in the future.”
The Yanmar 3TNV88 will be powering Grainline’s high-volume 1260 auger – capable of filling a semi-trailer with grain in under 10 minutes.
When you’re talking about that volume of work, it’s understandable that customers would expect a hard-working, long-lasting power pack on their auger.
To give an idea of just how much work these compact little diesels will be tasked with, one customer has requested a 200 litre diesel fuel tank on their auger!
“Normally we would probably match the Yanmar with a 28 litre fuel tank – we’re aware that fuel quality is important in any application and avoiding condensation buildup within fuel tanks is important.”
Yanmar passed the 10 million unit production mark on its vertical water-cooled engine nearly five years ago, with fuel efficiency helping the brand dominate in the industrial engine market. The Yanmar research team’s development of specialised fuel injection/atomisation techniques and unique combustion chamber designs deliver fuel economy that will easily see a full day’s work (or more!) out of a 28 litre tank.
For more information on Grainline’s augers and ag equipment, visit grainline.com.au
