Fullwood launches new M2erlin milking robot

The robot is called the Fullwood M2erlin automated milking system and invited guests came to see the robot at the Packo Factory in Ellesmere in North Shropshire.

In southern Ireland, Teagasc Moorepark installed the first version of Packo Fullwood robot at the trial farm in Kilworth and some other commercial farmers have also installed it.

The main change to this machine from the older models is the multiple entry and exit points. Cows can enter from either the side or the rear of the crate, which Packo claims means it requires less space and is more cost-effective to install.

Also, the cows can exit the crate from either the front or the side. Packo claims this allows for easier drafting of animals and reduces the need for a separate drafting unit to be installed. For the cows to exit from the front of the crate, the feed trough is designed to fold away. Once the cow is milked, the trough folds away and only reappears once the next eligible cow enters the crate. This helps to reduce false visits by cows which are not eligible for milking.

Another new feature of the robot is that it has an electric arm for attaching clusters. Packo claims this reduces energy usage by up to €540/year as it does away with outdated pneumatic and hydraulic drives.

David O’Hare, chief executive of Packo Fullwood, said: “This results in the robot being almost completely silent when working, increasing cow comfort. The arm also has a greater range of movement, meaning it can attach easily to any size cow.”

There are three different specifications available. The basic level robot is called the Essential and it provides a basic level of information to the farmer. It is the best suited to a grazing-based system. The next level up is the Extended and the top-of-the-range model is the Expert.

All three specifications are equipped with Fullwood’s herd management interface which allows farmers access to key data such as milk flow, milk yield and heat activity through a built-in touch-screen panel on the robot.

According to Packo Fullwood, a single robot is able to harvest 2,000 litres of milk per day, which, when converted to cows, is somewhere in the region of 65 cows per day.

Fullwood is currently third for market share in Europe behind De Laval and Lely, but is hoping to double production over the next two tears and expand its markets.

The quoted prices:

M² Essential = RRP from £77,077.00 (€95,463.00)

M² Expert = RRP from £84,700.00 (€105,000.00)

These prices exclude bulk tank connections and are dependent on site conditions.

The prices are excluding VAT, but do include Installation.