January 27, 2025 • 23 mins
Discover the keys to mastering conveyor system maintenance in grain operations with our special guest, Jake Crockford from IBT Industrial Solutions. Jake shares with the Whole Grain podcast host and GEAPS’ Director of Education and Training, Jim Lenz, his profound expertise on overcoming obstacles in grain facilities, from aging equipment to workforce shortages, and offers vital insights into optimizing efficiency. Learn how a problem-solving mindset and a broad understanding can make a significant difference, whether that's through simple adjustments of components like Sheaves or by enhancing communication with suppliers. We promise you'll walk away with actionable strategies to keep your grain operations running smoothly.
As the grain industry faces a generational shift, hear about the innovative training programs designed to bridge the knowledge gap between seasoned professionals and a younger workforce. Jake and I discuss the pressing importance of part identification and maintenance, especially in older facilities, and how collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers can ensure operational efficiency. We'll emphasize the critical role of preventative maintenance, and the proactive steps grain facility workers can take to improve efficiency, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and development.
Effective communication is at the heart of efficient grain operations. This episode sheds light on the differing priorities of grain facilities and how understanding turnaround times can make or break efficiency. Jake offers his insights on optimizing conveyor systems and the importance of stocking essential spare parts to minimize downtime. We also touch on the broader challenges and opportunities facing the industry, from drought conditions to market trends, and extend our gratitude to the grain handling industry for its invaluable contributions to feeding the world. Join us for an enlightening discussion that promises to enhance your understanding and appreciation of this crucial sector.
Important Links:
- IBT Industrial Solutions – Grain Division
- IBT Industrial Solutions – Ethanol Industry Products and Solutions
- Shop IBT Industrial Solutions - www.shopibt.com
- IBT Industrial Solutions - Home Page
- Visit IBT Industrial Solutions at – GEAPS Exchange
Grain Elevator and Processing Society champions, connects and serves the global grain industry and its members. Be sure to visit GEAPS’ website to learn how you can grow your network, support your personal professional development, and advance your career. Thank you for listening to another episode of GEAPS’ Whole Grain podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (00:02):
Conveyor systems are the backbone of
grain handling operations,keeping everything moving
smoothly, but when they're notmaintained, they bring
everything to a grinding halt.
In this episode we're joined byJake Crockford, an experienced
problem solver with IBTIndustrial Solutions, who spent
over a decade helping grainfacilities.
Stay ahead of equipmentchallenges.
Let's get started.
(00:23):
Hello and welcome to the show.
Welcome to the Whole GrainPodcast.
My name is Jim Lenz, your hostand producer of the show and the
director of global educationand training at GEAPS.
We're the mission of the GrainElevator and Processing Society
is to champion, connect andserve the global grain industry
and our members At GEAPS.
We work to be the globalcommunity and thought leader for
(00:44):
the grain industry which feedsand fuels the world.
Thanks for listening today andfor joining the network of
thousands of other grainhandling and processing
professionals across the globetaking strategic steps to grow
professionally.
The Whole Grain Show will giveyou the competitive advantage to
win at work so you can makemore of an impact.
Our special guest in today'sepisode is Jake Crockford.
Jake is an account manageroutside sales at IBT Industrial
(01:07):
Solutions.
Ibt is a Jeep's premier partnerour highest level partnership
we offer, with the most benefits, with exclusive opportunities
only available to premier levelpartners, including this special
episode of Whole Grain.
In this episode, jakegenerously shares his hands-on
knowledge about tackling issueslike aging equipment, supply
chain distributions and theever-present workforce
(01:28):
challenges.
He also breaks down the keycomponents of conveyor systems,
like the tail, the head anddrive, and provides practical
tips to keep operations runningefficiently, whether it's
stocking the right spare partsor improving communications with
suppliers.
Jake offers actionable adviceyou can use right away.
Get ready for an insightfulconversation packed with
real-world tips and strategiesto help keep your grain moving.
(01:52):
Let's dive into theconversation.
All right Conveyor systems are acornerstone of the grain
handling industry, enabling theefficient movement of grain
(02:12):
through every stage ofoperations.
Today's episode focuses on keyaspects of maintaining these
systems and the insights thatcome from working directly with
grain facilities.
Joining us today is JakeCrockford, an account manager
and outside sales specialistwith IBT Industrial Solutions.
With over a decade ofexperience at IBT and prior
(02:32):
roles in the grain industry,jake brings a unique perspective
to problem solving in grainoperations.
Jake, welcome to Whole Grain.
Hey, Jim, thanks for having me,Jake, to start the conversation
on a positive note.
Could you share a mantra orsuccess quote or any piece of
advice that has shaped yourprofessional journey?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (02:50):
The harder you work, the luckier
you get, so something that I'vealways liked and strive for I
like it.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (02:58):
Could you share what drew you to IBT and
what you find most rewardingabout your role?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industri (03:06):
to IBT and what you find most
rewarding about your role.
Sure, I really enjoy what I dohere.
I spent a number of years justwith our grain products division
, focusing on those variety ofcomponents that make up our
grain division.
But within IBT we're anindustrial distributor, so
really we're a generalist.
We deal with a lot of differentcomponents and all things that
you would have in your facility.
(03:27):
When you're specialized, you'rekind of geared towards that one
individual component that youcan address and from my
perspective there's a lot ofdifferent things that go into it
that maybe I need to tweak this, maybe I need to change that to
get the desired outcome, notnecessarily that one component,
(03:47):
that one specialized attributethat I need to focus on.
From that I can kind of look atthings holistically and maybe I
don't need to sell you theentire gearbox.
Maybe I just need to change ashiv to address a sizing or a
speed issue and get thingscorrected that way, as opposed
to maybe a more expensive routeor a lesser efficient route.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (04:10):
To me that sounds like in your role.
In order to be successful,you've got to have a good, broad
base of understanding.
But add lots of depth there andyou are a problem solver.
And so it seems like on a dailybasis, the conversations you
have must be quite broad rangingand supporting people's needs,
exactly.
Jake Crockford, IBT Ind (04:31):
There's a lot to it some days, but it's
very rewarding.
I enjoy it.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (04:35):
Can you share a little bit about how your work
at IBT, particularly how yourrole, addresses the challenges
faced by grain handlingfacilities?
Samur?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indus (04:46):
faced by grain handling facilities,
some more Probably on a weeklyif not daily basis, I run into
either a labor or skill issue,regardless of the industry, not
just the grain industry.
There's other customers that Icall on that are more
industrialized or moremanufacturing.
They're all struggling to findwarm bodies basically.
So that is a continuing issuethat we're going to see.
(05:07):
But as this workforce getsyounger and younger, so does the
could say so.
I hear that a lot.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (05:25):
We as a global membership association hear
that from our members quiteoften.
I was just in a conversationwith our chief executive
director, john Colport, andwe're working ourselves on
helping people quickly get up tospeed.
For those who are new or newerto the industry, you were right
the knowledge is leaving and soyou're doing, and your
(05:46):
organization is doing, theirpart to help support that.
So you always got to be in theknow and I'm sure you do a lot
of training with all theproducts and services you have.
You're getting educationyourself right all the time and
staying up to date and thenpassing that forward with your
clients and prospective clients,right.
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (06:04):
IBT is very on the forefront of
educating our workforce, so wepride ourselves on our internal
training that we conduct withnot only our outside sales force
but also our inside sales forcethe guys that would pick up the
phone if you called in.
We also work with our suppliersand the manufacturers that we
distribute for to get up-to-dateinfo from them so that we can
(06:27):
take that back and share it withour customer base.
So some of these things they'vebeen in production for a long
time.
There's not a lot of changes,but there's also some neat
things that are coming up thatmanufacturers try to address or
make things more efficient orbetter in some way, shape or
form.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (06:45):
You expressed these challenges in the grain
industry and you're there tosupport them.
So people and labor challengesare one of the key things you're
finding in terms of challengesin the industry.
Anything else you see as well.
Jake Crockford, IBT Industri (06:59):
So with the younger guys that are
coming on board, the gentlemenand ladies and such, they just
don't have the inherentknowledge that someone much
older might.
It's kind of like they don'tknow what they're looking at a
rotary phone until they actuallypick it up.
So you know, they grew up witha cell phone in their hand and
(07:21):
everything should be automated.
But really one of the biggerthings that I run into or have
run into is the partidentification, the individual
components that are critical tohaving your equipment run.
They might know that, hey,that's a bearing, but they don't
know how to identify thatbearing.
So I've gotten phone calls frompeople that say, hey, I need a
(07:43):
bearing and that's it, deadpanfull stop.
So from my perspective, it'shard to assist them without
additional information.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (07:53):
So you kind of walk them through the process
of hey, this is what I need inorder to help you and you know
in previous conversation youalso mentioned the large
spectrum of facilities that youserve and people in those
facilities and some of thosethings may be older that's
difficult to maintain andservice.
(08:13):
Could you elaborate more on theunique challenges these
facilities face and how can youhelp them overcome them with the
needs that they have?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (08:22):
How can you help them, overcome
them with the needs that theyhave?
Sure, At least here in Kansas,the bulk of our grain elevators
were built prior to 1971.
So 1971 is the line in the sandfor when OSHA was created.
So prior to that thesefacilities were kind of made
without a lot of guidance, Iguess you could say, with
(08:42):
regards to safety and servicingof equipment.
So you get into a lot ofsituations where the equipment
is very inaccessible at times,or maybe the guarding around a
piece of equipment wouldn't bequite up to modern standards.
So that's always an issuewhenever we're dealing with
(09:06):
particularly new employees.
The other thing that comes up isjust because of the age.
These are 50 plus year oldfacilities.
All the equipment that's thereis old, obsolete.
It may be working prettyeffectively, but there are times
that you run into somecomponents that they just don't
exist anymore.
Their parent company has beenbought out a couple different
(09:29):
times or they're no longer inbusiness and the doors are
shuttered.
So working with my customerbase to not only identify what's
there but also findingreplacement components so that
they can stay up and running andkeep the lights on currently,
Thank you for bringing that up.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (09:49):
That also reminds me that we could use
this form as a tool and aperspective of grain facility
workers, not the vendor andsupplier.
So when a grain facility workeris in conversation with a big
supplier like IBT IndustrialSolutions, let's think about
(10:12):
what do they need to knowregarding some things?
So, first of all, preventativemaintenance is often mentioned
as a critical factor in facilityefficiency.
What are some key stepsfacilities can take,
particularly regarding partidentification and stocking
spare parts?
What kind of suggestion oroffering do you have for those
(10:34):
who work in green facilities?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indus (10:35):
First off, what kind of facility do
you have?
You know your goals are goingto be different whether you're a
country house or a countryelevator, versus a rail terminal
, a shipping facility of somesort.
So if I'm a country elevatorand I need to service my
customer base, the local farmer,I want to have all my critical
(10:56):
receiving equipment up to snuff.
I want to go through that andidentify my spare parts that I
need to have on the shelf for myreceiving equipment.
Now, if I'm a rail terminal ora barge loading facility, I'm
incentivized to make my shipmentand load my train in a fixed
amount of time.
(11:17):
I don't want to face anydemerge charges.
So I'm going to focus my effortson my shipping equipment.
What do I need to get my grainout of my bins and in that train
car or on that barge, and whatare those critical components to
that?
In addition to those things, Ialso want to look at my
(11:38):
turnaround time if I were to godown.
So I'm going to work with mysuppliers my local guy to say,
hey, what is my lead time onthis component?
Where could I get one of theseif this one failed?
Those type of things in orderto not only keep components on
my shelf in case I need them, ifit's cost effective to need
(12:00):
them, but also know where to gowhen the worst thing was to
happen.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (12:05):
We'll return right after this message.
Ibt Industrial Solutions hasbeen your expert and product
support partner in the grainindustry for over 75 years.
They solve the hard problemsthat keep your business running
as a one-stop shop for productsand services ranging from motion
amplification to conveyingsolutions.
They also stock productinventory from over 1,200
(12:26):
suppliers available now at oneof their 37 locations across the
Midwest.
Come visit IBT Solutions atJeep's Exchange booth 3110 or go
to ibtinccom forward slashgrain.
Ibt Industrial Solutions, yourtrusted grain industry partner.
You've highlighted theimportance of providing
suppliers with accurateinformation.
(12:46):
Could you discuss why this isso critical, samur, and share
tips for grain facility teamswhen working with vendors like
IBT?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (12:55):
Sure , I want you to help me.
Help you.
I need accurate information ofwhat you're looking for.
Not only that, but how quick doyou need it?
If you're calling me becauseyou want to replenish your stock
, that's great.
Love those phone calls.
If you're broke down and Idon't sense some urgency in your
voice, or you don't tell meyou're broke down, it's a
(13:17):
different conversation.
Knowing your current situationand how to effectively resolve
it to help you is why I'm here.
It doesn't matter whether thephone calls after hours or first
thing in the morning.
I want to make sure that we getyou taken care of and get you
the answers that you're lookingfor in a timely manner,
regardless of the circumstances.
(13:38):
But the gist of it is is I'mnot a mind reader.
But the the gist of it is isI'm not a mind reader.
So so you got to communicateeffectively in order to get that
through to not only myself butany of my colleagues.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (13:51):
Yeah, it may seem obvious, but these are
things that you're encounteringand so that's great that you're
sharing that.
It's good for people in grainfacilities to consider Start off
very broad and narrow thatfocus down so that they can help
you out.
Now there's a lot of differentproducts and services that you
support in grain facilities.
I would like to focus now onthe anatomy of a conveyor system
(14:14):
.
So, jake, let's dive into themain components of a conveyor
system.
So, jake, let's dive into themain components of a conveyor
system.
Could you walk us through thekey parts the tail, the head and
the drive and their roles ingrain handling?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (14:26):
Sure , starting at the tail.
This is basically where yourload point is going to be for
any of your grain mass.
This is also usually where thetension is on that take-up.
So whether it's a bucketelevator or a horizontal belt
conveyor or drag assembly, thetension is usually at the tail.
There's a couple different waysthat you configure that, using
(14:48):
take-up bearings or take-upframes Also, the bearings there
are usually going to be smallerthan at your head.
There's the least amount offorces on that tail at that
point Moving down the conveyor.
There may be some intermediaterollers or something along those
lines, but you end up at thehead.
That's where the drive is.
That's where all the force isto move that grain mass.
(15:10):
The components of the head are,in addition to some beefier
bearings, you also have thedrive.
So you have usually a motorgearbox, some kind of a reducer
in there to not only to decreasethe speed but also to increase
the torque.
Torque is what moves everything.
So that's a balancing actbetween the motor and the
(15:32):
gearbox and then it goes on toyour head pulley or your drive
sprocket in order to convey thatassembly move your product.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (15:41):
Could you also add some specific advice on how
they could gather the criticaldimensions or details that
suppliers like IBT need foraccurate part replacement?
What about those criticaldimensions and some
identification tips here?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (15:58):
Sure , first off, everybody carries a
cell phone these days, so takesome good pictures.
I constantly get texts from mycustomers hey, I need two of
these or something along thoselines.
That's great.
There may or may not be taginformation on some of these
components.
There may or may not be taginformation on some of these
components, so when we'relooking at them, for instance on
the tail or the take-up, take apicture of that assembly Broad
(16:22):
perspective.
There are a number of differenttake-ups available Narrow slot,
wide slot, ptu, heavy duty,medium duty.
There's a number of differentconfigurations there that we can
address.
Also the shaft dimensions or insome case, the bore.
So we need that dimension.
Bolt hole centers and base tocenter height, for instance on a
(16:46):
pillow block bearing.
That's a critical dimension.
So that helps narrow our focusdown on what we supply you.
If you tell me you need abearing, narrow our focus down
on what we supply you.
If you tell me you need abearing, that's great.
If you tell me you need abearing that's a 2-7-16 shaft,
that's better.
But then we've got it narroweddown to a size.
(17:07):
Now we need some moredimensions on the actual
assembly in order to make surethat it's going to bolt in where
your existing bearing goes.
So with a picture of that wecan really narrow down what type
of bearing that is, whether itmight be a ball bearing or a
tapered roller bearing of somekind.
Those type of things are allgreat.
(17:27):
Another thing is particularlywhen you get into motors and
gearboxes.
Usually there's amanufacturer's tag on a gearbox
that'll tell us the ratio.
That's something that we'd needto know On a motor.
We need to know frame size,horsepower, voltage, what type
of enclosure.
It is a number of differentaspects there that we get into
(17:48):
on those types of things.
Most of the time motors usuallyhave a pretty robust tag on
them, but there's an awful lotof gearboxes out in the
countryside that don't have anyinformation on them.
So at that point we're countinginput rotations and output
rotations in order to physicallysit down and calculate the gear
(18:09):
ratio of that reducer.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (18:11):
So there's some work involved in some of
those instances, but you canhelp them through that, so
that's great.
From your experience, whatspare parts should facilities
prioritize stocking to minimizedowntime?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industri (18:25):
So the most common component that
you should have on your shelffor your conveying assemblies is
going to be V-belts or drivebelts.
That is an engineered weak linkthat is designed if you plug
your conveyor.
If you plug a leg, it's thebelt that fails, or the drive
belt that fails, not the othermore expensive components harder
(18:49):
to replace components that fail.
That's why those V-belts andthose drive belts are put in.
That assembly is to give youthat failure mode.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (19:01):
That's a good point.
Now I know in a previousconversation with some of your
colleagues IBT has done a lot ofpreparation in advance.
You know surrounding thepandemic, but I would love for
you to take an opportunity andto describe how IBT has adapted
to ensure timely delivery ofparts and solutions for
customers, because whencustomers want a product, they
(19:24):
hope they have it.
What is IBT doing on their end?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (19:29):
IBT did go through a process of
increasing our inventory acrossthe board the parts and
components that we're holdingjust because of delays from not
only manufacturers, but alsoshipments and raw materials that
those manufacturers needed.
We also have 39 stockinglocations across the Midwest in
(19:50):
order to service our customerbase.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (19:53):
Another thing I want to add, Jake, because you
kind of have the vibe or thebeat of grain facilities,
because you are just connectingwith so many across a broad
sector.
I'm curious maybe you'vealready mentioned this but, as
someone so deeply involved inthe industry, what do you see as
the greatest challenges orgreatest challenge and
opportunities for grainfacilities today?
(20:14):
Are there any trends shapingthe future of grain operations?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (20:18):
Over the last several years at least
here in Kansas we have had somedrought conditions smaller than
average crops.
We've kind of turned a cornerthis last year so we hope that's
coming to an end.
I've been out of the grainmarketing world for some time
but the carries that did existin the market several years back
.
Those really did a tremendousjob of keeping our facilities
(20:40):
full as we captured some ofthose carries and rolled those
positions forward.
But this last year we had a lotof empty facilities and there
were some repairs, some muchneeded repairs being done.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (20:51):
Jake, as we wrap up, what's the one piece of
advice you'd give to grainfacility teams looking to
improve their conveyoroperations and maintenance
practices?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (21:01):
I'm going to stress the importance
of developing a relationshipwith your suppliers, with the
guys that you depend on when therubber meets the road, so to
speak.
Absolutely, I want to besupportive of you guys, but it's
also a bad way of phrasing thatbut it's a good idea to support
those that support you andcommunicating with them and
(21:23):
developing those relationshipsso that you can get the
immediate response and theservice that you need in order
to do your job effectively.
Great, response.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (21:33):
Great response , Jake.
If listeners want to learn moreabout the services and
solutions offered by IBTIndustrial Solutions, what's the
best way to reach out to youand to IBT?
Yeah, you can go to our website, ibt Inc, or you can visit our
(21:54):
online presence at www.
shopibt.
com.
Wonderful.
Thank you so much, Jake.
On behalf of the Whole Grainteam, the GEAPS team, we thank
you for sharing your expertise.
We'll include links in the shownotes for anyone interested in
learning more.
Appreciate it.
Thank you, Jake.
Jake Crockford, IBT Indus (22:05):
Thank you for having me.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (22:07):
Thanks for joining us on this episode of
the Whole Grain Podcast.
A big thank you to JakeCrawford for sharing his
expertise in IBT IndustrialSolutions.
Jay Crawford for sharing hisexpertise in IBT Industrial
Solutions.
Don't forget to check out theshow notes for more resources
and ways to connect with IBTIndustrial Solutions.
If you've not already done so,this is a reminder to subscribe
to the Whole Grain Podcast andyour favorite podcast app, such
(22:28):
as Apple Podcasts, amazon Music,Pandora, Spotify and more.
By doing so, every episode willbe downloaded to your device as
soon as it is released.
Plus, you can catch up on allthe past episodes.
If you are on the GEAPS website, you can listen to all Whole
Grain Podcast episodes fromthere, read the show notes and
view the important links andaccess the transcript of the
(22:48):
show.
The URL is www.
GEAPS.
com/ wholegrain.
We thank the entire grainhandling and processing industry
for doing your part to feed andfuel the world, as well as
facilitate thousands of otherproducts that stem from grain.
Your work is important.
Stay tuned, stay informed andconnected by visiting www.
GEAPS.
(23:20):
com.
The Whole Grain Podcast offersa custom commercial to support
your business.
Please reach out to me, jimLenz, director of Global
Education and Training at GEAPS,the grain elevator and
processing society.
My email is james@geaps.
com.
J-a-m-e-s at G-E-A-P-S dot com.
We look forward to connectingwith you.
(23:40):
Have yourself a great day andthanks for listening to Whole
Grain.
Conveyor systems are the backbone of
grain handling operations,keeping everything moving
smoothly, but when they're notmaintained, they bring
everything to a grinding halt.
In this episode we're joined byJake Crockford, an experienced
problem solver with IBTIndustrial Solutions, who spent
over a decade helping grainfacilities.
Stay ahead of equipmentchallenges.
Let's get started.
(00:23):
Hello and welcome to the show.
Welcome to the Whole GrainPodcast.
My name is Jim Lenz, your hostand producer of the show and the
director of global educationand training at GEAPS.
We're the mission of the GrainElevator and Processing Society
is to champion, connect andserve the global grain industry
and our members At GEAPS.
We work to be the globalcommunity and thought leader for
(00:44):
the grain industry which feedsand fuels the world.
Thanks for listening today andfor joining the network of
thousands of other grainhandling and processing
professionals across the globetaking strategic steps to grow
professionally.
The Whole Grain Show will giveyou the competitive advantage to
win at work so you can makemore of an impact.
Our special guest in today'sepisode is Jake Crockford.
Jake is an account manageroutside sales at IBT Industrial
(01:07):
Solutions.
Ibt is a Jeep's premier partnerour highest level partnership
we offer, with the most benefits, with exclusive opportunities
only available to premier levelpartners, including this special
episode of Whole Grain.
In this episode, jakegenerously shares his hands-on
knowledge about tackling issueslike aging equipment, supply
chain distributions and theever-present workforce
(01:28):
challenges.
He also breaks down the keycomponents of conveyor systems,
like the tail, the head anddrive, and provides practical
tips to keep operations runningefficiently, whether it's
stocking the right spare partsor improving communications with
suppliers.
Jake offers actionable adviceyou can use right away.
Get ready for an insightfulconversation packed with
real-world tips and strategiesto help keep your grain moving.
(01:52):
Let's dive into theconversation.
All right Conveyor systems are acornerstone of the grain
handling industry, enabling theefficient movement of grain
(02:12):
through every stage ofoperations.
Today's episode focuses on keyaspects of maintaining these
systems and the insights thatcome from working directly with
grain facilities.
Joining us today is JakeCrockford, an account manager
and outside sales specialistwith IBT Industrial Solutions.
With over a decade ofexperience at IBT and prior
(02:32):
roles in the grain industry,jake brings a unique perspective
to problem solving in grainoperations.
Jake, welcome to Whole Grain.
Hey, Jim, thanks for having me,Jake, to start the conversation
on a positive note.
Could you share a mantra orsuccess quote or any piece of
advice that has shaped yourprofessional journey?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (02:50):
The harder you work, the luckier
you get, so something that I'vealways liked and strive for I
like it.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (02:58):
Could you share what drew you to IBT and
what you find most rewardingabout your role?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industri (03:06):
to IBT and what you find most
rewarding about your role.
Sure, I really enjoy what I dohere.
I spent a number of years justwith our grain products division
, focusing on those variety ofcomponents that make up our
grain division.
But within IBT we're anindustrial distributor, so
really we're a generalist.
We deal with a lot of differentcomponents and all things that
you would have in your facility.
(03:27):
When you're specialized, you'rekind of geared towards that one
individual component that youcan address and from my
perspective there's a lot ofdifferent things that go into it
that maybe I need to tweak this, maybe I need to change that to
get the desired outcome, notnecessarily that one component,
(03:47):
that one specialized attributethat I need to focus on.
From that I can kind of look atthings holistically and maybe I
don't need to sell you theentire gearbox.
Maybe I just need to change ashiv to address a sizing or a
speed issue and get thingscorrected that way, as opposed
to maybe a more expensive routeor a lesser efficient route.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (04:10):
To me that sounds like in your role.
In order to be successful,you've got to have a good, broad
base of understanding.
But add lots of depth there andyou are a problem solver.
And so it seems like on a dailybasis, the conversations you
have must be quite broad rangingand supporting people's needs,
exactly.
Jake Crockford, IBT Ind (04:31):
There's a lot to it some days, but it's
very rewarding.
I enjoy it.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (04:35):
Can you share a little bit about how your work
at IBT, particularly how yourrole, addresses the challenges
faced by grain handlingfacilities?
Samur?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indus (04:46):
faced by grain handling facilities,
some more Probably on a weeklyif not daily basis, I run into
either a labor or skill issue,regardless of the industry, not
just the grain industry.
There's other customers that Icall on that are more
industrialized or moremanufacturing.
They're all struggling to findwarm bodies basically.
So that is a continuing issuethat we're going to see.
(05:07):
But as this workforce getsyounger and younger, so does the
could say so.
I hear that a lot.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (05:25):
We as a global membership association hear
that from our members quiteoften.
I was just in a conversationwith our chief executive
director, john Colport, andwe're working ourselves on
helping people quickly get up tospeed.
For those who are new or newerto the industry, you were right
the knowledge is leaving and soyou're doing, and your
(05:46):
organization is doing, theirpart to help support that.
So you always got to be in theknow and I'm sure you do a lot
of training with all theproducts and services you have.
You're getting educationyourself right all the time and
staying up to date and thenpassing that forward with your
clients and prospective clients,right.
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (06:04):
IBT is very on the forefront of
educating our workforce, so wepride ourselves on our internal
training that we conduct withnot only our outside sales force
but also our inside sales forcethe guys that would pick up the
phone if you called in.
We also work with our suppliersand the manufacturers that we
distribute for to get up-to-dateinfo from them so that we can
(06:27):
take that back and share it withour customer base.
So some of these things they'vebeen in production for a long
time.
There's not a lot of changes,but there's also some neat
things that are coming up thatmanufacturers try to address or
make things more efficient orbetter in some way, shape or
form.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (06:45):
You expressed these challenges in the grain
industry and you're there tosupport them.
So people and labor challengesare one of the key things you're
finding in terms of challengesin the industry.
Anything else you see as well.
Jake Crockford, IBT Industri (06:59):
So with the younger guys that are
coming on board, the gentlemenand ladies and such, they just
don't have the inherentknowledge that someone much
older might.
It's kind of like they don'tknow what they're looking at a
rotary phone until they actuallypick it up.
So you know, they grew up witha cell phone in their hand and
(07:21):
everything should be automated.
But really one of the biggerthings that I run into or have
run into is the partidentification, the individual
components that are critical tohaving your equipment run.
They might know that, hey,that's a bearing, but they don't
know how to identify thatbearing.
So I've gotten phone calls frompeople that say, hey, I need a
(07:43):
bearing and that's it, deadpanfull stop.
So from my perspective, it'shard to assist them without
additional information.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (07:53):
So you kind of walk them through the process
of hey, this is what I need inorder to help you and you know
in previous conversation youalso mentioned the large
spectrum of facilities that youserve and people in those
facilities and some of thosethings may be older that's
difficult to maintain andservice.
(08:13):
Could you elaborate more on theunique challenges these
facilities face and how can youhelp them overcome them with the
needs that they have?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (08:22):
How can you help them, overcome
them with the needs that theyhave?
Sure, At least here in Kansas,the bulk of our grain elevators
were built prior to 1971.
So 1971 is the line in the sandfor when OSHA was created.
So prior to that thesefacilities were kind of made
without a lot of guidance, Iguess you could say, with
(08:42):
regards to safety and servicingof equipment.
So you get into a lot ofsituations where the equipment
is very inaccessible at times,or maybe the guarding around a
piece of equipment wouldn't bequite up to modern standards.
So that's always an issuewhenever we're dealing with
(09:06):
particularly new employees.
The other thing that comes up isjust because of the age.
These are 50 plus year oldfacilities.
All the equipment that's thereis old, obsolete.
It may be working prettyeffectively, but there are times
that you run into somecomponents that they just don't
exist anymore.
Their parent company has beenbought out a couple different
(09:29):
times or they're no longer inbusiness and the doors are
shuttered.
So working with my customerbase to not only identify what's
there but also findingreplacement components so that
they can stay up and running andkeep the lights on currently,
Thank you for bringing that up.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (09:49):
That also reminds me that we could use
this form as a tool and aperspective of grain facility
workers, not the vendor andsupplier.
So when a grain facility workeris in conversation with a big
supplier like IBT IndustrialSolutions, let's think about
(10:12):
what do they need to knowregarding some things?
So, first of all, preventativemaintenance is often mentioned
as a critical factor in facilityefficiency.
What are some key stepsfacilities can take,
particularly regarding partidentification and stocking
spare parts?
What kind of suggestion oroffering do you have for those
(10:34):
who work in green facilities?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indus (10:35):
First off, what kind of facility do
you have?
You know your goals are goingto be different whether you're a
country house or a countryelevator, versus a rail terminal
, a shipping facility of somesort.
So if I'm a country elevatorand I need to service my
customer base, the local farmer,I want to have all my critical
(10:56):
receiving equipment up to snuff.
I want to go through that andidentify my spare parts that I
need to have on the shelf for myreceiving equipment.
Now, if I'm a rail terminal ora barge loading facility, I'm
incentivized to make my shipmentand load my train in a fixed
amount of time.
(11:17):
I don't want to face anydemerge charges.
So I'm going to focus my effortson my shipping equipment.
What do I need to get my grainout of my bins and in that train
car or on that barge, and whatare those critical components to
that?
In addition to those things, Ialso want to look at my
(11:38):
turnaround time if I were to godown.
So I'm going to work with mysuppliers my local guy to say,
hey, what is my lead time onthis component?
Where could I get one of theseif this one failed?
Those type of things in orderto not only keep components on
my shelf in case I need them, ifit's cost effective to need
(12:00):
them, but also know where to gowhen the worst thing was to
happen.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (12:05):
We'll return right after this message.
Ibt Industrial Solutions hasbeen your expert and product
support partner in the grainindustry for over 75 years.
They solve the hard problemsthat keep your business running
as a one-stop shop for productsand services ranging from motion
amplification to conveyingsolutions.
They also stock productinventory from over 1,200
(12:26):
suppliers available now at oneof their 37 locations across the
Midwest.
Come visit IBT Solutions atJeep's Exchange booth 3110 or go
to ibtinccom forward slashgrain.
Ibt Industrial Solutions, yourtrusted grain industry partner.
You've highlighted theimportance of providing
suppliers with accurateinformation.
(12:46):
Could you discuss why this isso critical, samur, and share
tips for grain facility teamswhen working with vendors like
IBT?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (12:55):
Sure , I want you to help me.
Help you.
I need accurate information ofwhat you're looking for.
Not only that, but how quick doyou need it?
If you're calling me becauseyou want to replenish your stock
, that's great.
Love those phone calls.
If you're broke down and Idon't sense some urgency in your
voice, or you don't tell meyou're broke down, it's a
(13:17):
different conversation.
Knowing your current situationand how to effectively resolve
it to help you is why I'm here.
It doesn't matter whether thephone calls after hours or first
thing in the morning.
I want to make sure that we getyou taken care of and get you
the answers that you're lookingfor in a timely manner,
regardless of the circumstances.
(13:38):
But the gist of it is is I'mnot a mind reader.
But the the gist of it is isI'm not a mind reader.
So so you got to communicateeffectively in order to get that
through to not only myself butany of my colleagues.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (13:51):
Yeah, it may seem obvious, but these are
things that you're encounteringand so that's great that you're
sharing that.
It's good for people in grainfacilities to consider Start off
very broad and narrow thatfocus down so that they can help
you out.
Now there's a lot of differentproducts and services that you
support in grain facilities.
I would like to focus now onthe anatomy of a conveyor system
(14:14):
.
So, jake, let's dive into themain components of a conveyor
system.
So, jake, let's dive into themain components of a conveyor
system.
Could you walk us through thekey parts the tail, the head and
the drive and their roles ingrain handling?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (14:26):
Sure , starting at the tail.
This is basically where yourload point is going to be for
any of your grain mass.
This is also usually where thetension is on that take-up.
So whether it's a bucketelevator or a horizontal belt
conveyor or drag assembly, thetension is usually at the tail.
There's a couple different waysthat you configure that, using
(14:48):
take-up bearings or take-upframes Also, the bearings there
are usually going to be smallerthan at your head.
There's the least amount offorces on that tail at that
point Moving down the conveyor.
There may be some intermediaterollers or something along those
lines, but you end up at thehead.
That's where the drive is.
That's where all the force isto move that grain mass.
(15:10):
The components of the head are,in addition to some beefier
bearings, you also have thedrive.
So you have usually a motorgearbox, some kind of a reducer
in there to not only to decreasethe speed but also to increase
the torque.
Torque is what moves everything.
So that's a balancing actbetween the motor and the
(15:32):
gearbox and then it goes on toyour head pulley or your drive
sprocket in order to convey thatassembly move your product.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (15:41):
Could you also add some specific advice on how
they could gather the criticaldimensions or details that
suppliers like IBT need foraccurate part replacement?
What about those criticaldimensions and some
identification tips here?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (15:58):
Sure , first off, everybody carries a
cell phone these days, so takesome good pictures.
I constantly get texts from mycustomers hey, I need two of
these or something along thoselines.
That's great.
There may or may not be taginformation on some of these
components.
There may or may not be taginformation on some of these
components, so when we'relooking at them, for instance on
the tail or the take-up, take apicture of that assembly Broad
(16:22):
perspective.
There are a number of differenttake-ups available Narrow slot,
wide slot, ptu, heavy duty,medium duty.
There's a number of differentconfigurations there that we can
address.
Also the shaft dimensions or insome case, the bore.
So we need that dimension.
Bolt hole centers and base tocenter height, for instance on a
(16:46):
pillow block bearing.
That's a critical dimension.
So that helps narrow our focusdown on what we supply you.
If you tell me you need abearing, narrow our focus down
on what we supply you.
If you tell me you need abearing, that's great.
If you tell me you need abearing that's a 2-7-16 shaft,
that's better.
But then we've got it narroweddown to a size.
(17:07):
Now we need some moredimensions on the actual
assembly in order to make surethat it's going to bolt in where
your existing bearing goes.
So with a picture of that wecan really narrow down what type
of bearing that is, whether itmight be a ball bearing or a
tapered roller bearing of somekind.
Those type of things are allgreat.
(17:27):
Another thing is particularlywhen you get into motors and
gearboxes.
Usually there's amanufacturer's tag on a gearbox
that'll tell us the ratio.
That's something that we'd needto know On a motor.
We need to know frame size,horsepower, voltage, what type
of enclosure.
It is a number of differentaspects there that we get into
(17:48):
on those types of things.
Most of the time motors usuallyhave a pretty robust tag on
them, but there's an awful lotof gearboxes out in the
countryside that don't have anyinformation on them.
So at that point we're countinginput rotations and output
rotations in order to physicallysit down and calculate the gear
(18:09):
ratio of that reducer.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (18:11):
So there's some work involved in some of
those instances, but you canhelp them through that, so
that's great.
From your experience, whatspare parts should facilities
prioritize stocking to minimizedowntime?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industri (18:25):
So the most common component that
you should have on your shelffor your conveying assemblies is
going to be V-belts or drivebelts.
That is an engineered weak linkthat is designed if you plug
your conveyor.
If you plug a leg, it's thebelt that fails, or the drive
belt that fails, not the othermore expensive components harder
(18:49):
to replace components that fail.
That's why those V-belts andthose drive belts are put in.
That assembly is to give youthat failure mode.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (19:01):
That's a good point.
Now I know in a previousconversation with some of your
colleagues IBT has done a lot ofpreparation in advance.
You know surrounding thepandemic, but I would love for
you to take an opportunity andto describe how IBT has adapted
to ensure timely delivery ofparts and solutions for
customers, because whencustomers want a product, they
(19:24):
hope they have it.
What is IBT doing on their end?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (19:29):
IBT did go through a process of
increasing our inventory acrossthe board the parts and
components that we're holdingjust because of delays from not
only manufacturers, but alsoshipments and raw materials that
those manufacturers needed.
We also have 39 stockinglocations across the Midwest in
(19:50):
order to service our customerbase.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (19:53):
Another thing I want to add, Jake, because you
kind of have the vibe or thebeat of grain facilities,
because you are just connectingwith so many across a broad
sector.
I'm curious maybe you'vealready mentioned this but, as
someone so deeply involved inthe industry, what do you see as
the greatest challenges orgreatest challenge and
opportunities for grainfacilities today?
(20:14):
Are there any trends shapingthe future of grain operations?
Jake Crockford, IBT Indust (20:18):
Over the last several years at least
here in Kansas we have had somedrought conditions smaller than
average crops.
We've kind of turned a cornerthis last year so we hope that's
coming to an end.
I've been out of the grainmarketing world for some time
but the carries that did existin the market several years back
.
Those really did a tremendousjob of keeping our facilities
(20:40):
full as we captured some ofthose carries and rolled those
positions forward.
But this last year we had a lotof empty facilities and there
were some repairs, some muchneeded repairs being done.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (20:51):
Jake, as we wrap up, what's the one piece of
advice you'd give to grainfacility teams looking to
improve their conveyoroperations and maintenance
practices?
Jake Crockford, IBT Industr (21:01):
I'm going to stress the importance
of developing a relationshipwith your suppliers, with the
guys that you depend on when therubber meets the road, so to
speak.
Absolutely, I want to besupportive of you guys, but it's
also a bad way of phrasing thatbut it's a good idea to support
those that support you andcommunicating with them and
(21:23):
developing those relationshipsso that you can get the
immediate response and theservice that you need in order
to do your job effectively.
Great, response.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (21:33):
Great response , Jake.
If listeners want to learn moreabout the services and
solutions offered by IBTIndustrial Solutions, what's the
best way to reach out to youand to IBT?
Yeah, you can go to our website, ibt Inc, or you can visit our
(21:54):
online presence at www.
shopibt.
com.
Wonderful.
Thank you so much, Jake.
On behalf of the Whole Grainteam, the GEAPS team, we thank
you for sharing your expertise.
We'll include links in the shownotes for anyone interested in
learning more.
Appreciate it.
Thank you, Jake.
Jake Crockford, IBT Indus (22:05):
Thank you for having me.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS (22:07):
Thanks for joining us on this episode of
the Whole Grain Podcast.
A big thank you to JakeCrawford for sharing his
expertise in IBT IndustrialSolutions.
Jay Crawford for sharing hisexpertise in IBT Industrial
Solutions.
Don't forget to check out theshow notes for more resources
and ways to connect with IBTIndustrial Solutions.
If you've not already done so,this is a reminder to subscribe
to the Whole Grain Podcast andyour favorite podcast app, such
(22:28):
as Apple Podcasts, amazon Music,Pandora, Spotify and more.
By doing so, every episode willbe downloaded to your device as
soon as it is released.
Plus, you can catch up on allthe past episodes.
If you are on the GEAPS website, you can listen to all Whole
Grain Podcast episodes fromthere, read the show notes and
view the important links andaccess the transcript of the
(22:48):
show.
The URL is www.
GEAPS.
com/ wholegrain.
We thank the entire grainhandling and processing industry
for doing your part to feed andfuel the world, as well as
facilitate thousands of otherproducts that stem from grain.
Your work is important.
Stay tuned, stay informed andconnected by visiting www.
GEAPS.
(23:20):
com.
The Whole Grain Podcast offersa custom commercial to support
your business.
Please reach out to me, jimLenz, director of Global
Education and Training at GEAPS,the grain elevator and
processing society.
My email is james@geaps.
com.
J-a-m-e-s at G-E-A-P-S dot com.
We look forward to connectingwith you.
(23:40):
Have yourself a great day andthanks for listening to Whole
Grain.
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