| 2018-11-14 |    |
Re-branded Fullwood Packo Launch New Products at EuroTier
European milking and cooling equipment manufacturer, Fullwood Packo, launched a series of new products and a new corporate identity at this year’s EuroTier show in Hannover, Germany on 13th November.
In addition to an intelligent bulk tank controller and washing unit, Fullwood Packo also showcased a range of new milking parlour concepts and a time-saving milking liner, all of which reflect the company’s ‘Eco-Logical’ design philosophy which aims to reduce on-farm production costs and electricity consumption, and to help lessen the environmental impact of dairy production.
The free-standing QR90 parlour positions cows at 90-degrees for easy udder preparation and rapid cluster attachment. The breast rail and optional feed troughs rise vertically to enable cows to exit the parlour quickly at the end of milking.
Fullwood Packo Group: a new brand identity
The new Fullwood Packo Group identity reflects the integration of the Fullwood (milking parlours and herd management technologies) and Packo (milk cooling) brands and sends a clear and strong message that Fullwood Packo remains a key player in the global dairy industry.
iControl: intelligent bulk tank controller and washing unit
Fullwood Packo’s new ‘iControl’ system is an intelligent, user-friendly bulk tank controller and washing unit that has been designed in accordance with the company’s ‘Cool Safe’ principle which provides dairy farmers with the peace of mind that their milk is being stored and chilled correctly.
Housed within a robust stainless steel cabinet, the iControl system incorporates an intuitive touchscreen interface, featuring a ‘Check Cooling’ mode which is designed to eliminate milk losses, monitor the dosage of cleaning chemicals and ensure a perfect cleaning result with minimal water consumption.
iControl is compatible with Fullwood Packo’s Cooling app which allows users to monitor the temperature and volume of milk from their smartphone. The app also shows users when the tank is in cleaning or cooling mode and provides a range of notifications and alerts. An electronic logbook helps with farm and food assurance protocols by automatically recording the tank’s temperature and logging the pertinent parameters of each individual cleaning cycle. The new control panel also simplifies the milk collection procedure thanks to its one-button operation.
iControl improves operational efficiencies and reduces cooling costs by making use of cheaper night time electricity tariffs or by using solar power produced on farm, while an ‘Eco-Wash’ programme and a ‘Twin-Jet’ high pressure cleaning system reduce water usage and shorten the cleaning process.
Quick Series parallel parlours
Fullwood Packo’s new range of ‘Quick Series’ parallel parlours use an hydraulically operated breast rail that lifts vertically at the end of milking to give cows a clear and wide passage from which to exit the parlour quickly and safely. Available in both free-standing (QR) and wall-mounted (QV) configurations, these parlours can also be specified with optional integrated feeding troughs.
All parlours within the Quick Series range are equipped with Fullwood Packo’s unique Adjustable Shoulder Rail Index (ASRI) positioning system which enables the parlour’s dimensions to be adjusted to suit the size of the herd: the width of the entrance onto the milking stand can be adjusted to improve cow loading, as can the height of the shoulder rail for improved cow comfort. The stand length can also be adjusted according to the size and breed of cows being milked.
The ability to fine-tune the parlour‘s geometry in this way improves cow and operator comfort, ensures optimal teat presentation, and facilitates a fast but safe and relaxed transfer of cows to and from the parlour: these benefits can all contribute to a higher throughput of cows, increased milk yields and higher profits.
New rotary parlour concept
Fullwood Packo’s Rotary Revolution concept is the first rotary abreast parlour to use shoulder indexing: a system which encourages cows to stand towards the rear of the milking platform from where the operator can easily reach the udder for rapid cluster attachment. The indexing bar also encourages cows to leave the platform at the end of milking, thereby improving the efficiency and throughput of the parlour.
New milking arms
The new Symphony (for swing-over parlours) and Single Line (double-sided parlours) milking arms encase each milking cluster’s flexible pipework within a stainless steel supporting tube to eliminate pipe restrictions caused by sharp bends or pinches. This simple design not only improves milking efficiency by reducing the risk of vacuum losses, but also prolongs the lifetime of hoses and results in higher milk production by safeguarding teat and udder health.
Directional Shut-Off milking liner
Fullwood Packo’s new Directional Shut-Off (DSO) milking liner has been designed to address the age-old problem of how to prevent milking clusters from tangling after automatic detachment from the udder. The new DSO liner is profiled in such a way that it can only fall in one direction, thereby ensuring each of the four milking cups will always be in the correct position ready for the cluster to be attached to the next cow. This results in less operator fatigue and improved parlour throughput. The new liners will be available in early 2019.
