DTexH2o owner operators Graeme and Alison Franklin took home the prize for most viable business at the 2014 Waikato field days.
The system uses electric sensors fitted into a natural acetal housing slipped between pipes to measure the conductivity of the liquid running past.
As milk is less conductive than water, the sensor can detect when the liquid passing it is 50% water and sounds an alarm warning the farmer to divert liquid from the vat.
Data from the sensors is transferred to a central control box which will trigger an alarm if a microswitch on the vat valve is still engaged.
The entire system can be plugged into a three-point outlet and takes little time to install.
It will help farmers harvest all the milk available without any water sneaking through into the vat and also tells the farmer exactly when to turn the tap in order to maximize milk in the vat that would normally be discharged into the waste.
Normally farmers take two different steps during wash up.
If their farm’s water quality is poor and they are bound by a water exclusion policy then they will stop milk from flowing into the vat as soon as the wash water goes through, potentially wasting 20-100L of milk each time.
But if their farm’s water quality is good then the milker will monitor liquid temperature by holding a hand on the pipe, diverting liquid from the vat when the temperature gets too low, risking water grades if the milker forgot to divert the liquid.
Franklin says the system eliminates the risk in both situations by giving the farmer a clearly defined window when they can stop liquid from flowing into the vat without suffering any repercussions.
With an average of 30L lost per milking in even normal circumstances Franklin says the average farmer can lose as much as $14,000 a year. So a system could pay for itself in well under 12 months.
Franklin says a GEA technician he talked to at the show told him he travelled down a similar path before deciding it couldn’t be done.
Fonterra and QCONZ have given the invention their approval and Franklin says he has been installing water sensor systems in and around Manawatu and Wairarapa for 12 months.
Tel. 0800 383 9426
www.dtexh2o.com
