Friday, 07 October 2022 10:55

Robotic feeding for 300 cows

Written by  Mark Daniel
The self-driving DairyFeed F4500 is an electrically powered unit with a single vertical mixing auger. The self-driving DairyFeed F4500 is an electrically powered unit with a single vertical mixing auger.

Dairy specialists GEA has announced the arrival of an autonomous robotic feeder to its already extensive range.

Scheduled to appear at the German EuroTier Event in November, the self-driving DairyFeed F4500 is an electrically powered unit with a single vertical mixing auger.

Unlike mixer wagons fitted with milling heads, the machine is designed to be filled from feed bunkers, using a 2.2m³ tub to take care of weighing the main ingredients and additives for individual groups of animals. The robot mixes the contents and navigates around the farm using laser scanners and is fitted with obstacle detection sensors to ensure safety is maintained in all situations.

Configured with four wheels, two rigidly mounted mid-point assemblies carry the machine, while front and rear wheel take care of steering, with the machine capable of travelling up inclines of up to 10%.

Rations can be delivered to both the left and right sides of the machine, with any residual feed automatically pushed up to the feed fence by a deflector plate as the machine passes along the feed area. Linked to the company’s DairyNet herd management system, the robot can be monitored and controlled from a mobile device.

Initially available in key European markets from Q4 2022, Dairy- Feed F4500 will be available globally from 2023, with GEA noting that no major on-farm changes will be needed to install the system.

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Case IH Wins EIMA Award for Optum Suspension System

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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