Perfectly attuned chemicals for optimal milking hygiene and machine longevity
AT Lely we provide cleaning products perfectly attuned to our solutions, ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and equipment longevity. By using Lely cleaners in our milking robots, farmers can safeguard milk quality while maintaining efficiency and durability.
Why Choosing the Right Chemicals Matters
Cleaning chemicals are specially formulated to meet TACT parameters (Time, Action, Chemistry, and Temperature) for effective cleaning. Water plays a crucial role by providing agitation, dissolving chemicals, and transferring heat.
Robot Cleaning: Maximising Operation Time
To maximise robot operation time and minimise downtime, Lely has optimised cleaning durations. Unlike conventional milking parlours that use circulatory cleaning at around 45˚C, Lely Astronaut robots perform a flushthrough clean at temperatures starting at 95˚C, with a minimum temperature at the drain of 77˚C. These high temperatures compensate for shorter cleaning cycles, ensuring thorough sanitation.
Using chlorine-free and noncorrosive products is essential to prevent damage to stainless steel components. Lely’s alkaline and acidic cleaners are specifically designed for compatibility
with the robot, applied at fixed intervals to maintain a low Total Bacteria Count and Sommatic Cell count.
Effective Cleaning Protocols
Our robots self-clean three times daily with precise heat and chemical applications:
n Alkaline cleaning (twice daily): Removes organic waste such as fats and proteins.
n Acidic cleaning (once daily): Eliminates inorganic waste such as mineral deposits.
Udder Hygiene: Ensuring Clean Milking
Before each milking, the cow’s udder is brushed to remove dirt and prevent contamination. To maintain hygiene, Lely’s brush cleaner is applied after each milking. This specially designed cleaner is safe for cows and equipment, sterilising brushes rapidly while ensuring milk purity.
Milk Tank Cleaning: A Critical Step
A clean milk tank is essential for preserving milk quality. As tank cleaning is less frequent than robot cleaning, effective chemicals are needed to eliminate bacterial buildup. Tanks are cleaned at 45-70˚C, a range that requires powerful alkaline and acidic cleaners. Lely provides rigorously tested, safe cleaning products to keep milk tanks free from harmful residues. Cleaning
can be done with or without chlorine, depending on dairy requirements.
The Aims of Lely’s Chemical Solutions By integrating intelligent cleaning software with specialised products, Lely aims for:
n Low somatic cell count, ensuring high-quality milk.
n Protection of robot components, reducing wear, maintenance needs, and repair costs.
n Complete control of the milking process, from udder to milk tank, safeguarding quality.
n Improved hygiene and extended robot lifespan, ensuring reliable performance.
Lely’s commitment to superior hygiene solutions allows farmers to focus on producing highquality milk while optimising operations. By using Lely’s cleaning products, farmers can ensure their robots remain in peak condition giving a safe and efficient milking, milk purity is maintained, and overall farm efficiency is enhanced.
Our team of stock controllers across both centers enjoy the role of meeting and assisting farmers and engineers, ensuring you have the consumables and parts you need. Please contact our team on Lely Center Yeovil: 01935 577024 or Lely Center Holsworthy: 01409 413122.
Shannon Whittock and Nathan Emery (Lely Center Yeovil). Rob Branton (Lely Center Holsworthy).