Can old barns be converted?

Yes — barn conversions are one of the things we do. Whether it's worth it depends on the existing structures, furnace position, airflow path, loading method and the capacity you need.

What does ROC supply, and what do I arrange?

ROC supplies the working system: drawings, steelwork, heat source, fans, ducting, doors, vents and controls. The brickwork and any building work is done by a local builder using your bricks. We check the build against the drawings, but the farmer remains responsible for the builder and brickwork.

What information does ROC need?

Current curing setup, number of chambers, crop volume, fuel source, available space and what problem you want to solve.

Tobacco systems

Chongololos: connected barns that cure as one system.

A chongi links your curing barns so heat and air run through them in sequence instead of each barn working on its own. It is worth considering when you want better control and more efficient heat use from barns you already have, without moving to a trolley tunnel.

Ask about this See the range

Tobacco curing

A chongi is a curing system, not just a building.

Around here a chongi means a set of connected barns where the heat and air run through the chambers in sequence, instead of each barn working on its own. Unlike a tunnel, a chongi has no trolleys — the clips are loaded in and hung by hand, high up and down low, so it takes more labour to fill and empty. What you get back is more hands-on control over the cure.

Key points03

01
No trolleys — loaded by hand
02
More labour, but more control over the cure
03
Good for upgrading old barns

Configurations

Super Eco Chongi options

ModelSpecificationNo.

8-barn conversion

Convert 8 × 16 × 20 ft barns · ~75,000 leaves/day · ~1,600 kg/barn on strips

Brings older billy-barn capacity into a connected, more efficient curing system.

RS-28

24 × 24 m · ~120,000 leaves/barn · ~2,600 kg/barn on strips

A connected chongi layout for farms stepping up curing capacity.

RS-50

24 × 40 m · ~210,000 leaves/barn · ~4,600 kg/barn on strips

A larger connected system for higher seasonal volume.

RS-60

24 × 40 m · ~250,000 leaves/barn · ~5,500 kg/barn on strips

The largest connected chongi, for the highest seasonal volume.

How a chongi works

A chongi works because of the layout.

Heat and air in sequence

The chambers are linked so hot air runs through them in turn, not each one on its own.

Heat source built to suit

Heat input is planned around the chamber layout, the capacity and how you run it.

Upgrades barns you've got

Often built by converting existing barns rather than starting from scratch.

Hands-on control

Loaded, heated and vented by hand, which is where the extra control over the cure comes from.

Common questions

Questions worth settling before you buy.

The big practical difference is loading. A tunnel uses trolleys, so filling and emptying is quicker and easier on labour. A chongi has no trolleys — the clips are hung in by hand, high and low, so it takes more labour. What you get for that is more direct control over the cure. A chongi also suits upgrading barns you already have.

Included with every system