Robotic Teat Sprayer prevents mastitis
Robotic Teat Spray System in action at Inionba Pastoral, Kyabram, Victoria. Picture supplied
Robotic dairies are nothing new but the Robotic Teat Spray System designed and developed in Australia by Automation Solutions is at the cutting edge of technology.
With a background as an automotive maintenance electrician, Brett Inman heads the family-run business behind Automation Solutions.
The business has been running for over 10 years, adapting robotics to all sorts of applications, from manufacturing car parts to mining and bag stacking.
About five years ago, Peter Mulcahy, Inionba Pastoral, Kyabram, Victoria, approached Brett about developing a robot to suit his dairy.
The dairy business has been in the Mulcahy family for more than 160 years and Mr Mulcahy was looking to gain efficiencies by installing a Robotic Teat Spray System for mastitis prevention.
Mr Mulcahy, with the support of his five daughters, runs about 1200 Holstein Friesian milkers. The herd is 100 per cent A2 genetics and supplies the Mulcahy family-owned and operated Kyvalley Dairy Group.
“We’ve been very happy with our teat spray robot,” Mr Mulcahy said.
“We’ve looked at a lot of different systems and decided we would have the best outcome with this option. Most other systems didn’t have the accuracy and with the rising costs of teat sprays used substantially more Teatdip.
“We put cup removers in and with the Automation Solutions robot we were able to run the dairy without a person on the cups-off side of the dairy. This freed that person up to do other things.”
The robotic system was installed 12 months ago on a 100-stall rotary platform.
The Robotic Teat Spray System gets to work in the rotary dairy. Picture supplied
Mr Inman said: “In that time, it has applied more than one million teat sprays, without any down time attributed to the robot, surpassing expectations on the system’s reliability within its environment.
“It’s about utilisation of labour and improving dairy efficiency. Implementing the robot into this process frees up available labour to complete other varying day to day tasks and also eliminates the numerous OHS risks associated with the task.
“The robot has been integrated with the existing equipment to deliver accurate and effective spray treatment, and took just a few days to install and set up.”
Above all, it is more cost effective to purchase and own than alternative robotic sprayers, and there are no ongoing corporate agreements.
Inionba Pastoral farm manager Colin Webster said he and the owners had worked with Brett on the installation and the commissioning of the robot.
“We’re pretty happy with the results we’ve been getting and the consistency of the machine,” Mr Webster said.
“It’s improved our milk quality quality in terms of teat health post spray; it’s improved our somatic cell count so we produce premium milk.
“After-sale service has been of an exceptionally good standard. If I’ve had any questions, Brett’s been on the other end of the phone straight away.
“We’ve had no down time that’s affected milking.”
The robot is enclosed within a steel fence to meet strict Australian Standards relating to worker safety. The innovation behind the Automation Solutions’ Robotic Teat Spray System is tailored specifically for the Australian farming environment.
A safety fence is an important part of the Robotic Teat Spray System. Picture supplied
With Severe Dust Liquid Protection optioned, and galvanised mounting components, it is suitable for tough dairy conditions and is designed for longevity.
The Robotic Teat Spray System ensures accuracy and effectiveness with each and every spray treatment. The automated system maintains this effectiveness by constantly synchronising with platform movement.
This system uses a compact Japanese manufactured, Fanuc 6-axis industrial robot, complete with mechanical components manufactured in Victoria. It offers four-second stall times with a single robot – making it equally suitable for modest or large herd dairy farms.
The system has been designed to accommodate various sized udders, and uses smart, robust, industrial sensors to identify when and what spray path to follow.
Ease of operation is provided via an intelligent touch screen, offering real time, on-site adjustment of spray paths as required to suit the current herd.
Additionally, this robust solution is easy to self-diagnose and maintain.
The system will work in conjunction with existing teat spray solution infrastructure, utilise existing system signals, and can operate independently with no connection to dairy management software.
If you are looking to improve your rotary parlour operations, contact Brett at Automation Solutions for more information on 0402 498 454 or visit automationsolutions.com.au
View more here.. https://www.automationsolutions.com.au/projects/teat-spraying-robot/