Posted to News on 11th May 2007, 00:00
Hydraulic power for innovative milking systems
Parker Hannifin, has supplied a bespoke hydraulic drive solution to Fullwood, the leading manufacturer of milking machines and milk storage equipment, for use with its innovative rotary milking systems. The Parker products are enabling the machines to offer increased productivity, as well as simplifying maintenance.
Fullwood rotary milking systems offer users visibility of and easy access to the cows' udders, making the equipment considerably easier to use than conventional designs, and enabling 300 or more cows to be milked per hour. This leads to increased productivity with operators able to milk the animals three times a day, rather than two, which can translate to between 10 and 20 percent increased daily milk yield.
Unlike traditional methods, where cows are often extremely close to one another while being milked, the rotary system features individual stalls that provide a significantly less stressful and more comfortable environment for the animals. As a further benefit, the speed of the rotary units can be adjusted to enable the system to be customised for individual applications.
George Rogers, Senior Project Engineer at Fullwood, explained that before using Parker, the company was facing a significant problem in controlling the milking systems: "The previous power packs that we were using prior to the Parker units were supplied with varying valve designs. This made standardisation, and therefore effectively supporting our international customers, impossible." In order to overcome this problem, Parker offered a bespoke solution incorporating a complete hydraulic drive system made up of standardised Parker components that offered Fullwood and its customers global availability.
The hydraulic drive system turns the rotary platform via fully floating hydraulic motors, planetary gearboxes and compression drive wheels, and also comprises a hydraulic power pack, hoses and fittings, all designed to offer an efficient and simple to operate speed control system. Using hydraulic power packs as opposed to electric power enables users to drive a complete rotary system on one 3kW motor, as opposed to two or three electric motors of equivalent size, generating considerable energy savings.
