DAIRY NEWS FEBRUARY 25, 2014
FARM DAIRIES & EQUIPMENT // 33
Electronics to assist monitor milk quality
Alan Henderson, Te Awamutu, says Waikato Milking Systems technology has brought efficiency gains to his milking routine and future proofed his shed.
USING
Smart milking gear clears path ahead ‘SMART’ MILKING
technology newly installed on a Te Awamutu dairy farm gives the business a degree of ‘future proofing’, says the supplier, Waikato Milking Systems (WMS). Alan Henderson’s 180ha dairy platform, milking 650 cows, has a range of WMS products, centred on its strong, lightweight 60-bail Centrus rotary platform and milking machine. The other technology options Henderson chose were SmartECRs, SmartSpray and SmartWash. And the milking system has been future proofed in the sense that a WMS SmartD-Tect – an ‘intelligent’ mastitis detection system – can be installed at any time. Henderson says he went with Waikato Milking Systems because of the low weight of the Centrus platform which reduces maintenance costs, the simplicity and high performance of the milking plant, the durability of the products and the future proofing capability. SmartECRs is an electronic cup remover system
that triggers an automated sequence of events during milking. The system’s software caters for a wide range of milking routine parameters and operators can tailor the settings to suit their preferences. “SmartECRs make milking very efficient,” Henderson says. SmartSpray, an automatic teat spray system designed specifically for rotaries, ensures optimal teat coverage and reduces the amount of spray used. The system replaces the need for manual teat spraying and teat dipping. SmartSpray is signalled by the electronic cup removers to spray soon after the cups have been removed. This ensures the udder is sprayed while the teat orifice is still open and typically in a sheltered area of the shed to prevent wind drift. SmartWash is an automated wash system that ensures the milking machine is properly cleaned after each milking. Programmable to manage any wash scenario, it enables farmers to meet hygiene standards and regulations.
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SmartD-Tect, described by WMS as a breakthrough in mastitis identification technology, scans each quarter during milking and accurately notifies the operator of potential mastitis cases. The onset of mastitis can be identified up to four days before visual or clinical signs appear. The WMS products integrate seamlessly with each other and with the milking system. Farmers can add as much technology as they want, when they want. www.waikatomilking. co.nz
ELECTRONIC engineering to help farmers is a reality for University of Waikato graduate Andrew Russell, reports his employer Lely Sensortec Ltd. His role at the animal management product company is R&D into new ways to electronically sense cattle herd health. Notable among the company’s developments is a milk quality monitor for dairy farms. “On a typical day I may be working on data analysis, or designing and assembling new prototypes,” Russell says. “Testing these prototypes is a highlight, during which we visit farms, talk to farmers and recreate real life situations.” The former St Paul’s Collegiate student graduated Master of Engineering at Waikato University. He chose Waikato because it was close to home and offered a school leavers’ scholarship. “Although engineering at Waikato University is relatively new, I think the degrees offered are as good as if not better than ones obtained from a traditional ‘engi-
Waikato engineering graduate Andrew Russell scans milk samples which will later be analysed, during a visit to a Waikato milking shed as part of his role at Lely Sensortec Ltd.
neering’ university.” He says the main experience that stood out in his undergraduate degree was the opportunity to complete work placements as part of his study. “Work placements are an opportunity to get a foot in the door and get some real life experience. During my second work placement I worked here at Lely Sensortec. I
studied the effect of temperature on sensors and learnt how to calibrate against temperature effects,” he says. Following undergraduate study, Russell received a masters scholarship from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, which allowed him to complete research into milk spectroscopy in collaboration with Lely Sensortec.
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