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Manufactured from highdensity polyurethane, the support eliminates any weight bias between the front and rear quarters.
Operating in conjunction with automatic cluster removal (ACR) and gently supporting the cluster, Lactalign is a relatively simple retrofitted device designed to counter the often-costly impact of uneven weight and vacuum distribution of a traditional milking cluster.
The product was developed after herd management software, used at Metcalfe Farms in North Yorkshire UK, revealed twice as many mastitis cases were affecting front, compared to the rear quarters, despite the herd having very low cases overall.
Manufactured from high-density polyurethane, the support eliminates any weight bias between the front and rear quarters, a problem that may go undetected, but can be the underlying cause of many of the increased mastitis incidences in the forequarters.
The support takes the form of an individual pivot at each milking point, trialled initially from 2019, on Metcalfe Farms 72-point rotary parlour. Once the cluster is attached, the milk and pulsator tubes are dropped into one of three slots in the support, largely driven by the shape of the animal’s udder.
The ACR cord is placed in the same or a lower slot, so that when milking is completed and the ACR activates, the retracting cord causes the pivot to move back to its rest position.
Since fitting Lactalign, the farm has seen a 59% reduction in liner slip, a 47% reduction in kick-offs, a 65% reduction in re-attachments and importantly, a 50% reduction in mastitis cases affecting the front quarters.
Designed and manufactured by a local agricultural engineering company, the patented supports typically cost about $300 each, meaning that they would typically pay for themselves in around four months, factoring the loss of milk and the time needed to get back to the typical pre-infection yield. Lactalign can be fitted to rotary, rapid exit and herringbone configurations.
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
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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