'Tap Track' uses software to monitor, flag costly sap leaks
Scale of some syrup operations makes technological innovations a necessity, entrepreneur says
The sweet business of syrup can be soured by costly losses at the sap tapping stage — but a Sault Ste. Marie inventor says he has a solution.
Mark Lutes is the co-owner of Tap Track, a product that monitors sap lines for maple syrup producers who are trying to boost syrup yields by nipping sap loss in the bud.
Instead of having to personally check miles of sap tubing over many acres for leaks, syrup producers can hook their lines up to "Tap Track" sensors that report line compromises, he said.
If there's a problem, Lutes said an alert pops up on a cell phone with instructions on where to go to fix the leak.
"It's an amazingly big [issue]," Lutes said of sap loss.
"Apparently the biggest problem is squirrels chewing through the lines ... and other animals, too. We've had reports of porcupines, and even bears will chew on the big lines."
Lutes said the scale of some syrup operations in the region makes technological innovations a necessity — especially because a compromise in one line can reduce pressure in the whole system. .
"Some of these producers have — well the one we work with, Doug Thompson — he has 20,000 taps, so it's quite a chore to keep track of all of that."
Lutes said the "Tap Track" system, which he claims can save between 8 and 12 per cent in lost product, is being well-received in the industry.