When I first saw this Samovar-look-like device at a grain inspection laboratory in California, I laughed and asked why people were still using almost 120 years old equipment. Over the years, I learned to appreciate the value it provides to the grain industry as an accurate and efficient method to divide samples of grains into small portions for testing and analysis. If one takes a sample of 1.0 lb. of grains and runs it through the divider, the weight and the distribution of the good and damaged grains in the two 0.5 lb. samples will be equal. It enables the inspector to perform commercial grading with a smaller sample size. With all the new technology and computing power we have today, achieving this simple mechanical device’s performance will be hard, Artificial Intelligence vs. Mechanical Precision.
The Boerner Grain Divider was developed in 1906 by the American agricultural scientist Charles F. Boerner.