58 REGIONAL THE LAND | Thursday, January 28, 2010● ● ● ●

INNOVATIVE design and qualityworkmanship has kept family-runbusiness, BPR Engineering, at

Corowa, growing and constantlydeveloping new ways to help farmers.

Colin and Jacqui Wemyss, Corowa,started BPR Engineering in 1996 andhave since expanded the company toemploy seven staff members.

Mr Wemyss is a fourth-generationfarmer and he has used this practicalknowledge to make effective, long-lasting farming equipment – particu-larly when livestock are also involved– for farmers and graziers.

Mr Wemyss, who loves machineryand engineering, worked as a fittermachinist for more than 10 yearsbefore starting his own engineeringcompany.

He has extended his training toinclude a working knowledge ofpneumatics and hydraulics, as well aswelding and sheet-metal work.

While the company is synonymouswith the residue managers, havingdesigned, tested and produced theAricks wheel, it also performs modi-fications and breakdown mainte-nance for industrial and agriculturalmachinery, does pump overhauls,milling and turning jobs, hydraulicsand pneumatics, fabrications –including stainless steel and alumini-um fabrications – and supplies bulkstorage and transport solutions.

BPR Engineering can build andmodify machinery to suit individualspecifications, such as the mobileseed cleaning plant it started buildingin 2001.

It was built, with no drawings orspecifications, for a customer whogrades 10,000 to 13,000 tonnes ofgrain each year.

From the time spent developing theAricks wheel, BPR Engineering hasalso come to specialise in disc seedermaintenance.

By getting involved with the Arickswheel and disc seeders, Mr Wemysswas getting back to his roots by com-bining his first love of farming withengineering.

BPR Engineering also builds a largerange of stock feeders, from the large80-bag feeders and 40-bag feeders tosmaller 20-bag feeders and trailerswith tow options for the 20 and 40-bag feeders.

All feeders have adjustable gal-vanised feeding slides and lids andare highly adaptable and able to takeall grains and cattle pellets.

Feeders can also be custom-built toindividual specifications.

Mr Wemyss employs a team ofskilled tradespeople with the abilityto carry out hydraulic repairs, lathework, milling, keyways, slotting,sheet metal fabrication, folding and

rolling, mig and tig welding, pumprepairs and maintenance, specifica-tion fabrication and equipmentmanufacture.

They also have a plasma cutter,rollers, milling machine, lathe capa-bilities, a press, and a tungsten grit

hard facer which can do points,ripper tynes, skid plates, dozerblades, loader buckets, and backhoedigging edges.■ Visit www.bprengineering.com.auor contact Colin Wemyss, (02) 6033 0744.

Feature compiled byCASSANDRA HOUGH

In BriefMoving farm machinery :BPR Engineering has overcome theproblem of moving large farmmachinery between paddocks andproperties and finding the machineryunable to fit through gateways.

Other equipment manufacturers have employed the end towing system to their machines but formachines such as the John Deere 1590 series 6.1-metre (20 foot) footbox drill the width has remained 6.1m.

The new end towing system reducesthe width of the box drill to a muchmore manageable and manoeuvrable4.5m (15 foot).

It is fitted with easy to lift, sprung,towing hitches, and BPR principal, ColinWemyss, said its ease of use wasoutstanding.

The heavy ply flotation tyres swivelinto position and all castors haveposition locking, as do the pull and towhitch for easy backing and minimisingstorage space.

Mr Wemyss visited America andtoured the John Deere site, learningabout the machines and the best waysto fit attachments, including the endtow and Aricks wheels the companyhas built specifically for thosemachines.

Tackling seized openers:In recent years BPR Engineeringprincipal, Colin Wemyss, has focusedon the creation of the Aricks wheel,and in the process has becomesomewhat of a specialist in discseeder maintenance.

When he began fitting the Arickswheels to a few disc seeders, MrWemyss found he ended up repairingother parts of the machine as well,especially seized openers.

On some machines, farmerscomplained about the greasable points– they had a problem with the closingarms because dust would get into thegrease and solidify, which meant thegrease couldn’t be pumped in and thearm seized up.

As a result Mr Wemyss came upwith a non-greasable bush whichfeatures custom-made Teflon seals forthe bush.

Engineers break new ground

The mobile seed grading plant BPR Engineering started building in 2001.

BPR Engineering principal, Colin Wemyss, and employees, Andrew Johns and Troy Rainbow, all of Corowa, in the BPRworkshop.

THE ARICKS WHEEL WILL SAVE YOU TIME & MONEY!

STOCK FEEDERSMake a range of stock feeders to suit the needs ofthe man on the land. All feeders have adjustablegalvanised feeding slides and lids.They are highly adaptable and able to take allgrains and cattle pellets.We can also custom build feeders to yourspecifications.

BPR Engineering is an Australian Family Owned Business Ph (02) 6033 0744 or go to www.bprengineering.com.au

Check out our website for more information on our Aricks Wheel, End Tow, Disc Seeder Maintenance & Rebushing and Stock Feeders

The Aricks wheelResidue Manager

Effect on Emerging Cropwhere one wheel was usedAdvantages of use...

• Eliminating steps such as burning off, working-up• Minimal soil disturbance resulting in no new weed

growth, less chemical application• More consistent and even seed placement• Greatly reduces the risk of ‘hair pinning’• Easy to install to John Deere 60/90 series• Currently fit the John Deere 1590/1890 & 1895 Series

openers• Can be adapted to suit other makes of disc openers• Very beneficial in the correct placement of small seed ie

Canola, Clover, lucerne and Fertilisers• Dramatic increase in the percentage of germination,

therefore increasing soil carbon levels• Variety of wheel profiles available• Assist greatly with moving damp straw from rain or

heavy dews, allowing less downtime from wet conditions.

TL1734988