Solutions · Grain Storage
Grain is a natural product: it reacts to moisture, creates combustible dust, and varies from lot to lot. PW Silo Systems designs aluminum and stainless steel grain silos for food processing plants – with mass-flow discharge, explosion protection, and blending.
Grain Storage at a Glance
In food processing, a grain silo stores cleaned grain close to production – for milling, flaking, malting, or direct use in recipes. It protects the grain from moisture, pests, and outside contamination and feeds it in a controlled way to the next process step.
Whole grains are usually free-flowing, but dust, broken kernels, and moisture change their behavior. PW Silo Systems designs silo geometry, wall material, and discharge equipment around your grain and your process.
Why Grain Is Demanding
Grain looks easy to handle, but quality, safety, and traceability depend on how it is stored. Every challenge below affects your end product.
Grain is a natural product. Moisture and long storage times affect its quality.
In funnel flow, grain can remain in the silo for a long time while fresh grain passes through the center.
In coated carbon steel silos, flaking paint and steel particles can end up in the grain.
Grain dust is combustible. Filling and conveying release dust into the silo and its surroundings.
Deliveries differ, and a silo filled in batches forms horizontal layers of different quality.
Mills and food plants often handle several grains – including gluten-free grains such as buckwheat or millet.
Silo Materials
Aluminum and stainless steel silos are widely used for flour, sugar, starch, and other food ingredients. Both materials offer high corrosion resistance, good hygiene, and a long service life.
Carbon steel is not an option for us: its coating is the only protection against corrosion. Once it wears, paint particles and steel can get into the product. Which of our two materials fits your grain silo depends on your product, your process, your cleaning requirements, and your site – we review it with you.
Your Grain Silo System
Silo, discharge, blending, filtration, and safety equipment are engineered as one system. That means fewer interfaces for your team and components that are designed to work together.
Storage
Concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones – as standard, site-assembled, indoor, or multi-compartment silos.
Learn moreBlending
Gravity blending and homogenizing with four technologies, including PW ConeBlend with a hopper that is quick to clean.
Learn moreDischarge
Air fluidization for uniform discharge of poorly flowing products – prevents bridging and can be retrofitted to existing silos.
Learn moreDischarge
Vibration from unbalanced motors breaks up cohesive forces, resolves caking, and keeps the outlet clear.
Learn moreFiltration
Dust separation during filling and conveying, in a hygienic design for the food industry.
Learn moreSafety & Monitoring
Rupture discs or explosion vents for combustible dust, level measurement for reliable monitoring of the silo content.
Learn moreGrain Types
Kernel size, shape, and moisture change how grain flows. Grains marked “Tested in our lab” are on our list of bulk materials; the others we review with you.
Tested in our lab
Corn, maize, corn kernels
Corn kernels are large and free-flowing. They are stored for milling into corn flour, grits, or masa – mass-flow discharge supports clean stock rotation.
Tested in our lab
Oats, oat grain
Oats are the raw material for rolled oats and oat flour. A dedicated silo keeps oats separate when gluten-free production matters.
Tested in our lab
Spelt, spelt grain
Spelt is an ancient wheat species used for specialty breads and pasta. Storage and discharge are designed for its kernel size.
Tested in our lab
Green spelt, unripe spelt, gruenkern
Green spelt is spelt harvested before full ripeness and dried. It is used in soups, patties, and specialty foods.
Tested in our lab
Buckwheat, buckwheat groats
Buckwheat is a gluten-free pseudo-cereal. Dedicated storage keeps it apart from gluten-containing grains.
Tested in our lab
Millet, millet grain
Millet has small, round kernels that flow very easily. Silo outlet and discharge are matched to the small grain size.
Tested in our lab
Wheat, wheat kernels
Wheat is the most important bread grain. Wheat is on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab – storage is designed for its kernel size.
Tested in our lab
Rye, rye grain
Rye is the basis for rye flour and rye malt. Rye is on our tested list – a dedicated silo keeps it apart from other grains.
Tested in our lab
Emmer, emmer wheat, farro
Emmer is an ancient wheat species for specialty breads and pasta. Emmer wheat is on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab.
Also tested in our lab:
These grains are commonly stored in silos but are not on our tested list yet. Send us your material data and we will review the right solution with you:
Grain Check
Type in your grain or any other bulk material to see whether it has already been tested in our lab. The list covers 287 bulk materials.
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Service in the U.S.
With more than 40 years of experience in silo engineering, we support your grain silo project from the first design discussion to commissioning. We deliver to every U.S. state and install with our own qualified personnel.
FAQ
Answers to the questions plant managers, engineers, and buyers ask most often about storing grain in silos for food processing.
These grains are on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab:
Whole barley, sorghum, triticale, and einkorn kernels are not on our tested list yet. We review them with you based on your material data. Cracked grains, rolled oats, bran, and malt from wheat, rye, barley, and spelt are on our tested list.
Both. Aluminum and stainless steel silos are widely used for grain and other food ingredients because they offer high corrosion resistance, good hygiene, and a long service life. Which material fits your project depends on your product, your process, your cleaning requirements, and your site. We review the options with you.
In a carbon steel silo, the coating is the only protection against corrosion. If it wears or flakes off, paint particles and steel can end up in your grain. That is why we build silos exclusively in aluminum and stainless steel.
Yes. Buckwheat and millet are on our tested list. To keep gluten-free grains apart from wheat, rye, or spelt, we recommend dedicated silos – or PW StoreLine multi-compartment silos that keep different products separate in one silo.
In mass flow, the entire silo content moves downward when material is discharged – not just a channel in the center. Your grain leaves the silo in the order it came in (first in, first out), and no product is left behind in dead zones where it could age or cake. Our PW StoreLine silos are designed for concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones.
Fine grain dust is combustible, and many bulk solids carry an explosion risk. For combustible bulk solids we supply explosion-protected silos designed in accordance with applicable codes and regulations. Venting devices – rupture discs or explosion vents – are selected for your silo, your product, and your application. Integrated filters and dust collectors reduce dust during filling and conveying.
Deliveries vary, and a silo filled in batches forms horizontal layers of different quality. PW BlendLine gravity blending silos homogenize the content so your production receives a consistent product. We offer four blending technologies; the right one depends on your grain and on whether you operate continuously or in batches.
Hygiene starts with the materials: aluminum and stainless steel offer good hygiene and corrosion resistance. In addition, our flat-roof designs support high cleanliness standards, PW SpeedBlow uses high air flow for cleaning, and the PW ConeBlend blending silo has a hopper that is quick and easy to clean – well suited to frequent product changes.
The right size depends on your daily consumption, delivery intervals, the number of products, and the space available at your site. PW StoreLine silos are available in a wide range of sizes and diameters, and silos too large for road transport are assembled on site. We size the system with you – without oversized investment.
Yes. We deliver to every U.S. state and support your project with silo transport, field assembly, silo installation and supervision, and site relocation of existing systems.
Very likely. Our silo systems are designed for nearly all free-flowing, granular, and powdered bulk solids. Send us your material details, and we will review the right storage and discharge solution with you.
Tell us about your products, required storage capacity, how the silo is filled and discharged, and your site conditions. Based on this, we work out the material, silo type, and configuration with you and send you a detailed quote.
Your Project
Whether you need a single grain silo, several silos for different products, or a complete system with blending and discharge, tell us about your requirements. We'll develop a solution that fits your product, your process, and your site.
Send a Request NowWhat Happens Next
Tell us about your bulk material, your process, and your site conditions.
We work with you on material, silo type, and configuration – based on a bulk material analysis if needed.
You receive a custom-engineered solution with a detailed quote.
