Mendota, Ill. (May 3, 2023) – HCC, Inc., leading manufacturer of complex fabricated assemblies for harvesting equipment, announced its latest invention, the SieveSense™: Autonomous Louver Positioning, a hyper-accurate louver position sensor that enables automatic cleaning shoe adjustments to account for variable crop conditions, terrain environments and cleaning shoe loading conditions. Utilizing closed-loop sensing technology, the SieveSense maximizes harvest efficiency through autonomous louver position adjustments on the fly.
Solution-driven innovation
As a company that began with the simple vision of a Midwest farmer and a storekeeper, it still rings true today that the driving force behind HCC Inc.’s century of success is its people. The idea for the transformative SieveSense was born out of the desire to provide solutions that increase cleaning efficiency by enabling greater autonomy.
“When it comes down to it, it’s all about solving problems,” explained David Young, Director of Engineering at HCC Inc. “We knew that the way in which combine operators historically interpreted louver position was only an estimate. Then, we simply asked the question, ‘what would happen if it were more exact?’”
The answer was clear: increasing the louver position accuracy would result in increased harvest efficiency and less operator workload – a value proposition that will undoubtedly change the future the agricultural industry.
Accelerating autonomy
Antiquated louver position technology requires the operator to set a one-time louver position with manual updates during operation. SieveSense, on the other hand, autonomously accounts for every variable that can influence the louver position – terrain, crop condition (e.g. moisture), shoe shake, etc. – and utilizes real-time position. It utilizes algorithms that can adjust on the fly without any involvement from the operator, thus lessening the burden and improving endurance.
Additionally, SieveSense provides the opportunity for predictive maintenance that proactively monitors the overall health of the mechanical system. The internal accelerometer monitors the shoe condition to flag any irregularities or an impending shoe failure, eliminating expensive repairs and downtime.
A technological evolution
Forging the way in an industry often reticent to change, HCC Inc. has been redefining innovation when it comes to agricultural harvesting equipment and products since its inception in 1883. The company is responsible for inventing the H.D. Hume pickup reel, the first ever commercial grain weigher and the floating cutter bar. Today, HCC Inc. holds over 80 original patents and continues to be the leading manufacturer of sieves and reels for both North and South American combine markets.
“Innovation is not as much about rapid change as it is about smart change,” said Young. “What makes the SieveSense revolutionary is the fact that we took technology that already existed and uncovered new ways to apply it to solve real needs for today’s farmers.”
Looking to the future
As demand for global food distribution grows, HCC Inc. remains focused on productivity – both in manufacturing processes and harvest operation.
“Everything is aimed at efficiency right now,” explained Young. “We’re not going to grow more corn or soybeans. The challenge is finding ways to do it with fewer people and resources, and HCC Inc. remains committed to developing new processes and products designed to maximize performance.”
For more information about HCC, Inc., visit www.hccinc.com