New Stinger Hopper Set to Transform Vegetable Handling in the U.S. and Canada
Tong Engineering, a UK-based company renowned for its advanced vegetable handling machinery, has introduced its latest innovation—the Stinger Hopper. This new system is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the U.S. and Canadian markets, providing an efficient and dependable solution for unloading live-bottom trucks and semis.
“With our dedicated Tong USA division in Michigan, we’ve worked with many customers throughout the USA and Canada unloading crop with Stinger elevator solutions that feed our even flow hoppers. What we have developed now, is the ultimate Stinger Hopper; one fully integrated even flow machine with a built-in stinger elevator, resulting in a complete unloading solution that can receive crop direct from trucks,” stated Charlie Rich, Sales Director at Tong Engineering.
The new Stinger Hopper boasts a deep-flighted 6ft wide stinger elevator at the infeed, which is hydraulically adjustable to match the height of unloading trailers, ensuring ultimate versatility. This feature, referred to as the Droop Snoop, ensures the gentle handling of crops. The end of the elevator lowers into the hopper, mimicking the popular box fillers and minimizing crop damage. Additionally, sensors on both the stinger and the hopper detect crop levels, automatically adjusting the Droop Snoop position and controlling hopper speed to maintain a constant product flow onto the handling line.
Rich added, “We’ve fitted the stinger elevator with what we call a Droop Snoop. Like our popular box fillers, the end of the elevator lowers into the hopper for the gentlest handling. Both the stinger and the hopper are fitted with sensors that automatically detect the level of the crop in the hopper, keeping the droop snoop in optimum position as well as controlling the hopper speed according to the level of the crop. This ensures there is always a constant flow of product onto the handling line.”
The new integrated Stinger elevator can be specified on any Tong even flow hopper, whether used for mobile grading and sizing or offloading onto a static handling line. The system is engineered for swift and effortless transportation. The Stinger elevator can be hydraulically pushed into a transport position in seconds, making it highly mobile and easy to relocate.
Constructed with heavy-duty materials for reliable performance and longevity, the Stinger Hopper is built to withstand the most demanding conditions. The hopper floor is covered with Tong’s reinforced rubber hopper belts, facilitating thorough load movement and reducing crop tumbling and scuffing.
“The new Stinger Hopper from Tong does transform our proven even flow hopper systems into the perfect, single machine for unloading live-bottom trucks and semis. It brings significant time and labor savings; there’s no unnecessary set-up time getting separate elevators aligned with the hopper. It’s one fine-tuned machine that delivers streamlined and gentle unloading whilst providing maximized throughput of up to 150 tons per hour,” Rich concluded.
Initially, the Stinger Hopper will be available to customers in the U.S. and Canada. However, it is expected to attract interest from vegetable producers worldwide who utilize live-bottom trucks and semis for unloading harvests into handling lines.
