The last milking robots under the microscope

The development in milking robots certainly does not stand still. The robots have become smarter, can milk more cows per hour and have all kinds of technical gadgets on board to detect udder inflammation, for example. Due to the corona crisis, many trade fairs are canceled this year and so put Boerenbusiness the most recent models of about a ton again in a row. 

Delaval introduces pregnancy scan
One of the latest innovations in milking robots is the Delaval VMS 310 with RePro (gestation scan)^. Launched in November 2019, this robot is the first system to automatically attach pregnant cows. According to Delaval, this leads to a healthy herd, so that more lactations can be expected. The VMS 310 has been available since January 1, 2020. 

Delaval reports that up to 90 cows can be milked daily by a milking robot, previously this number was around 60 cows per milking robot. According to the machine builder, this increase is due to the fact that the cows are connected faster and they spend a shorter time in the box, so that more than 200 milkings per robot per day are possible. 

GEA bets on ccell count measurement per quarter of an hour
Robot manufacturer GEA presented the DairyRobot R2019 in January 9500. This robot has a number of systems in house that are unique. For example, the robot has the option of measuring the cell count in the milk every quarter of an hour. As a result, an inflammation comes to light in fifteen minutes faster, so that the inflammation can be treated more effectively. According to GEA, this is better for the cow and therefore better for the dairy farmer's wallet.

Previous GEA milking robots had the ability to operate multiple boxes with one robot arm. The new robot can no longer do this, but several robots can run on the same vacuum and cleaning system. This ensures that every robot is the same, regardless of the number of boxes on the farm.

According to the German producer of agricultural machinery, production costs are lower, because the parts for the robots are always the same. It is therefore cheaper for a livestock farmer to invest in several robots instead of one robot. According to GEA, the costs for a second robot are up to 25% lower than the price of the first robot. This also gives the option of building a box later and connecting it to the existing systems. 

Due to a constant vacuum and no constrictions in the pipes, the robot can milk up to 25 liters per minute with 60 cows per box. Also, the lack of constrictions helps to lower the acidity in the milk. This is because the robot destroys the fat globules in the milk as little as possible.

Lely with the A5 to China
The robot that Lely bets on is Astronaut the A5. This robot was launched in 2018 and has been slightly modified in the past year in terms of functionality, operational costs and ease of use for the customer and the technicians. Lely has also recently added a feeding system to the robot that makes it possible to feed loose raw materials, such as scrap and flour, into the robot.

At the beginning of this year, Lely proudly announced that they had set a sales record in 5 with the Astronaut A2019 milking robot. Whether it will be possible to break the record this year is still uncertain due to the corona crisis. However, according to Lely, the sales figures will come close to 2019. Sales numbers are not mentioned, as many robot manufacturers are reluctant to do so.

Last spring, Lely announced that it had sold the first A5 milking robot in China. Several robots have since been sold in the Asian country. According to Lely, this shows that the Chinese market, despite the low labor costs there, is also ripe for adopting robot technology. At the beginning of October, Lely will launch a number of innovations in the field of robots for dairy farming, although the successor to the A5 has not yet been presented. 

Anyone who finds a new robot too expensive can now also buy a used milking robot from Lely. Lely has developed a platform to provide insight into the availability of second-hand robots. Optionally available with additional options. The second-hand robots are updated with the latest hardware and software available for the model in question.  

Boumatic comes with the Gemini
Smaller player in the Dutch robot market Boumatic has launched a new robot this year, which will immediately replace the old robots. The old robots have only been in production for a year and a half and are therefore already being replaced. The new robot, the Boumatic Gemini, milks through the hind legs as usual from Boumatic. This robot also has a better vacuum system, which ensures that the vacuum under the teat is a lot more stable. The robot is available with a single or double box. The double box milks with one robot arm that can milk two cows at the same time.

Furthermore, Boumatic has made improvements to the 3D camera with the Gemini and the hose guide has also been adjusted. In this way, they say that both parts last longer and maintenance costs are lower, making the robot financially attractive. Boumatic can optionally supply a cell counter on the robot, this has also been addressed to improve its operation and accuracy. Apparently the robot is not yet fully developed, because Boumatic has already announced that it will tackle the milk flow and the milk path. 

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