The agriculture industry places enormous wear on equipment and structures, as the constant harvesting of crops and care of livestock is labor intensive work. In a single year, a farmer may have to replace beds, liners, fencing, spouts or pipes, and this constant replacement and repair is expensive. It’s even worse in areas where severe weather is common, such as the frequent freezes in the north or the blistering heat and humidity in the south. Unfortunately, protecting equipment from harm can also be prohibitively expensive, unless farmers elect to use polyurethane products for their operations. Polyurethane is particularly valuable in heavy duty operations, as it is inexpensive and extremely durable, extending equipment performance by years.
How can polyurethane make a big difference for people in the agriculture industry?
Polyurethane is used in many applications that span multiple industries, and is considered an ideal approach to reducing wear and damage to important components. This is of particular interest to farmers, who understand the difficulty in maintaining heavy equipment. Specifically, this is how polyurethane can help farming operations:
- Polyurethane sheets and liners can be installed in truck beds, compost spouts, chutes, conveyors and silo floors and walls. These areas are under constant attack from seeds, rocks and plant material, all of which can quickly wear out metal and plastic components. Polyurethane offers superb impact and abrasive resistance, and can be molded to any shape, which is why its primary function is to serve as a protective liner for various surfaces.
- Polyurethane can also be molded around pipes to prevent corrosion and improve insulating properties. Famers rely heavily on pipelines to deliver water, fertilizers and other fluids, and these lines can quickly be compromised by corrosion or damage due to extreme temperatures. Polyurethane can offer excellent resistance against both, and can be formed around pipes of any length or diameter.
- Polyurethane can also line or replace metal components in equipment that are prone to wearing down. For example, agriculture operations make frequent use of augers to move granular material efficiently. The metal screws on an auger are subject to intense physical forces and will warp before long. Polyurethane augers will last much longer and their performance will not be affected by changing temperatures.
- Polyurethane can even be used as the primary component in various conveyors. Polyurethane V rollers, for example, can provide the locomotion for large barn doors or gates. Polyurethane Rollers can also replace metal rollers in heavy equipment and offer a solution for transporting pipe or other heavy materials over long distances.
Polyurethane is a natural fit for the agriculture industry, where every day seems to bring new challenges. Polyurethane can help people in the industry meet those challenges and preserve their investment.