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The OptiDuo makes feed more palatable for cows and reduces waste.
Building on its launch back in 2018, DeLaval has launched a new OptiDuo feed pushing robot, with a claim that using this technology can add up to three litres/ cow/day.
To back that claim, data from over 1,500 OptiDuos in the workplace has been collated to demonstrate time and labour savings made by users, but it has also showed multiple improvements in cow health.
“Constantly refreshing feed in feed barns or pads encourages cows to eat more, resulting in a more stable rumen and increased milk production,” says DeLaval feeding specialist Ludo Bols.
“OptiDuo will run up to 10 times a day and customers tell us that it appears to be stimulus for the animals to eat, because on every occasion, they return to the fence to eat more.”
The OptiDuo remixes forage, “freshening” the feed to make it more palatable and reduce waste. Featuring a layout that incorporates a twin-spiralled rotating auger and adaptive drive function the machine can work with a variety of forage types that need to be mixed and made available to cows 24 hours/day.
The latest model also allows the farmer the option of feeding concentrates, via an integral dispenser that can be filled while the machine is charging, allowing concentrates to be fed out and recorded throughout the day.
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The first OptiDuo was launched in 2018. |
The latest incarnation of OptiDuo features an impact-resistant engineering thermoplastic cover made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) – a product often used in motor vehicle production. On the control front, updated software collects more data that in turn is shared using DeLaval’s operating system.
The company notes that farmers with milking robots have reported that cow flow and robot visits have also improved with OptiDuo.
“On farms that have chosen to invest in milking robots, we have seen milk yields increase by up to three litres of milk/ cow/day,” Bols says.
“For those who have invested, OptiDuo has provided improved cow health, farm profitability, operational efficiency and milk yield.”
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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