Robotic milking

[chas]

Anyone got any experience of large distances for the milk line when using robots? any advice on do's and don'ts?

Currently looking at about 40m inside the shed overhead, then overhead 7m outside to the tank room using a gantry ( I will insulate it well)... realistically could be around 60m

Seen it done ,when I looked round a lely farm it went about 80-100 m iirc
Was plastic type pipe I think
Hope it helps was a while ago now

 

[Peter]

Anyone got any experience of large distances for the milk line when using robots? any advice on do's and don'ts?

Currently looking at about 40m inside the shed overhead, then overhead 7m outside to the tank room using a gantry ( I will insulate it well)... realistically could be around 60m

How many machines and what colour?

 

[upnortheast]

Any chance you could put it in a duct underground , Better job IMO
If you go for a gantry make sure it is idiot proof. - eg away from telehandler booms, tipping feed wagons etc
Worth putting some of ths under the insulation
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/BNPW10.html
Different lengths available
Spoils your day if the milk line freezes

 

[westvalley87]

Any chance you could put it in a duct underground , Better job IMO
If you go for a gantry make sure it is idiot proof. - eg away from telehandler booms, tipping feed wagons etc
Worth putting some of ths under the insulation
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/BNPW10.html
Different lengths available
Spoils your day if the milk line freezes

robot company seem to want to avoid underground, plus access is more of an issue

 

[westvalley87]

How many machines and what colour?

2 machines, and green..

 

[Bald Rick]

Any chance you could put it in a duct underground , Better job IMO
If you go for a gantry make sure it is idiot proof. - eg away from telehandler booms, tipping feed wagons etc
Worth putting some of ths under the insulation
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/BNPW10.html
Different lengths available
Spoils your day if the milk line freezes

IIRC, I think it's illegal to have a milk line underground. Issue with rats in the main one

 

[Bald Rick]

BTW, few bits left over from the switchover

Looking for a home for an industrial type desiccant dryer ex hospital
Computer server if you have multi machines
35t Collinsons bin

PM if interested for pics & prices. No sensible offer refused!

 

[Peter]

2 machines, and green..

Don't know green ones washing system. But would assume the installers have manufacture training and certification.

 

[upnortheast]

IIRC, I think it's illegal to have a milk line underground. Issue with rats in the main one

No, that is not correct.
Ours has lived in a duct for nearly 10 years now.Dairy Inspector & Lely happy with it.
I would say the line is far safer in a well constructed duct than some of the surface installations I`ve seen

 

[westvalley87]

No, that is not correct.
Ours has lived in a duct for nearly 10 years now.Dairy Inspector & Lely happy with it.
I would say the line is far safer in a well constructed duct than some of the surface installations I`ve seen

How did you construct yours?

Simply in a pipe? ever had any issues? any advice on what to do / what not to do if constructed underground?

thanks in advance

 

[Scholsey]

How did you construct yours?

Simply in a pipe? ever had any issues? any advice on what to do / what not to do if constructed underground?

thanks in advance

What made you choose GEA, read through your previous posts and couldn’t find any recommendations for GEA robots when you asked advice.

I am sure they are plenty working well but seem to have only heard of the ones with problems.

 

[westvalley87]

What made you choose GEA, read through your previous posts and couldn’t find any recommendations for GEA robots when you asked advice.

I am sure they are plenty working well but seem to have only heard of the ones with problems.

There were no recommendations as i dont believe anyone on this thread had monobox.... the problems ones were the MIONE old robot. If you go on the different robot facebook pages respectively there are always farmers no matter the colour which has problems....

just felt confident in the robot, and after hearing everyone saying one of the most important thing is backup, backup, backup, the local dealer seems keen to make the monobox work in our area + have friends with the other colours, specifically the red ones and the service and running costs seem astronomical ... I am not knocking any of the robots as they will all do a very good job if managed correctly. Half the problem on any of these system is the human not the machine.

 

[upnortheast]

How did you construct yours?

Simply in a pipe? ever had any issues? any advice on what to do / what not to do if constructed underground?

thanks in advance

1 x 4" & 1 x 6" duct running side by side.
Each end come into a poly manhole ring with lid on top.
Short length 6 " duct coming up out of the manhole ring at about 45 degrees to the wall.
where the pipes go in
Worth having a drain in the lowest manhole to get rid of any water that may seep into the ducts
Use expanding foam or similar to vermin proof
Couple of pics to help explain

 

[westvalley87]

thanks for that, looks like a tidy solution.

ever had any issues with it? e.g. issues with bactoscan or rats chewing away at the pipes, or excessive waste milk being washed out, etc? what sort of distance have you installed it for?

 

[upnortheast]

No problems at all. In the duct is continuous lenth of pipe, no joints Only places rats can get in are the 2 ends, just make sure they are sealed up.
About 50 metres robots to plate coolers
As I said earlier I think that is a far better solution than the aerial route, which has, IMO, the potential for a number of problems. eg weather, too hot , too cold, physical damage.
Hope the installers aren`t recommending overhead to give themselves an easier install.
You are the one signing the cheque with all the noughts on, You are the one that has to live with it for the next 10 years.

 

[Bald Rick]

No, that is not correct.
Ours has lived in a duct for nearly 10 years now.Dairy Inspector & Lely happy with it.
I would say the line is far safer in a well constructed duct than some of the surface installations I`ve seen

Interesting. They were adamant that we could not run it underground so had to put in RSJ beams from shed to shed to stop vehicles etc taking out the line.
Don’t matter now but ...

 

[upnortheast]

@Bald Rick Did you ever have any problems with your overhead milk line ?

 

[westvalley87]

No problems at all. In the duct is continuous lenth of pipe, no joints Only places rats can get in are the 2 ends, just make sure they are sealed up.
About 50 metres robots to plate coolers
As I said earlier I think that is a far better solution than the aerial route, which has, IMO, the potential for a number of problems. eg weather, too hot , too cold, physical damage.
Hope the installers aren`t recommending overhead to give themselves an easier install.
You are the one signing the cheque with all the noughts on, You are the one that has to live with it for the next 10 years.

Absolutely agree that we (the farmer) are signing the cheques... just other than yourself i havent heard anyone putting it underground. just concerned me that there must be a reason why e.g. dairy regs or something. Your solution looks good

 

[Bald Rick]

@Bald Rick Did you ever have any problems with your overhead milk line ?

No, none. Thought there may have been an issue once where there was a three way join with "cheese" building up but turned out to be something else. Lines lagged of course but even when the Beast was rampant last year, not a problem probably because milk was constantly flowing through it?

 

[Stuart1]

We have our milk line overhead for the first half and then underground for the last half. This was due to not wanting it being it as it would have been exposed so put the last half through a duct