 The
Moisture Tracker is something new from Samuel Jackson, Incorporated. Recognizing
that a lint moisture applicator is needed in between the economical Lint Slide
Grid and the premium Steamroller, the engineering staff, under the guidance of
Martin Mehner, poured their efforts into developing a lint conditioner more
powerful than the grid, but less expensive than the Steamroller. The wish list
included making the new device easier to install in the gin, providing an
embedded moisture sensor for fully automatic operation, and suitable for a wide
range of capacities.
Left: A Moisture Tracker operating at Meadow Farmers Coop Gin near Lubbock,
Texas. This medium sized gin (30-40 bph) benefits from the Tracker due to its
cost savings over a Steamroller, clean operation, and fully automatic operation
with a Moisture Mirror II and Samuel Jackson Humidaire Unit.
The Tracker uses both push and pull fans, but is primarily dependant upon its
pull fan for effective operation. Moist air is taken from the Humidaire Unit and
sucked from the top of the Tracker downward through large drive wheels rotating
inside the Tracker. The cotton batt is moved through the machine by the
action of these wheels and taken across a stainless steel perforated screen
where moist air passes through the batt. The batt is expelled from the Tracker
following this conditioning process and continues on a warmed lint slide to the
lint charger.
The Moisture Tracker provides more conditioning than is possible with a grid
and provides modest batt compression at the same time, although this compression
is limited due to the absence of doffing or compression rollers on the machine.
The Tracker is ideal for gins in the 20-45 bale per hour range and requires
about 8 feet of lint slide, close to the battery condenser. Most types and
models of moist air generators are compatible with the Tracker, but late model
Samuel Jackson Humidaire Units combined with the Moisture Mirror color touch
screen are recommended for best performance and fully automatic operation.
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