4-18 Description and Operation
D-H023.0906EN
innovators in agriculture
4.3 Operation
The major processes of the ASTRONAUT A3 Next are:
• Milking process
• Milk transport
• Milk quality control
• Feeding
• Cleaning.
Milk sampling is a separate procedure and can be done using the
Shuttle.
4.3.1 Milking Process
The process of milking a cow has the following stages:
• Detecting and weighing
• Identification
• Positioning of the robot arm and pre-treatment
• Milking
• Let the cow out.
Total time of the cow in the box is 4 to 15 minutes depending on the
milk amount and the milk flow of the quarters.
4.3.1.1 Detecting and Weighing
When the cow enters the box of the ASTRONAUT A3 Next, it is detected
by the Gravitor weighing system of the ASTRONAUT A3 Next. The
Gravitor is connected to the CAN Bus network of the ASTRONAUT A3
Next.
The floor of the box is equiped with 4 weight sensors, 1 sensor on each
corner of the weighing floor. With these sensors it is possible to detect
where the cow is positioned in the box. This information is used:
• to control the gates of the box
• to position the robot arm.
The total weight of the cow is determined at the end of milking and
used as information for the cow's condition and stored in the control
system of the ASTRONAUT A3 Next.
4.3.1.2 Identification
If a cow is in the box, the robot makes sure that the cow can be milked.
For example the system checks the time between two milk sessions. If
this time is too short the front of the box is opened and the cow will
leave the box.
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