Pneumatic cylinders come in handy at milking time
The
Problem:
Dairy farming is labor-intensive-cows need to be milked
three times per day for optimum production. The milking
process needs to be gentle in order to maintain the animals'
comfort. Equipment needs to operate in an aggressive
environment that includes ammonia, water and dirt.
Its
Solution:
A computer-controlled milking system uses a pneumatically
powered multi-purpose robotic arm to perform a number of
operations, such as retrieving, attaching, holding and moving
the teat cups that are used for milking.
Guided by a video camera, three
pneumatic cylinders controlled by proportional directional
valves generate all the arm motions. They quickly extend the
arm the exact distance to reach the cow's udders, attach the
teat cups, and start milking. Each cylinder moves the
multi-purpose arm in a specific direction: cylinder A moves
the upper and lower arms along the width of the milking
station; cylinder B lifts the lower arm up or down; and
cylinder C moves the lower arm along the length of the milking
station.
Very durable, these
low-friction, double-acting actuators have stainless-steel
piston rods, anodized-aluminum profiled barrels, and anodized
cast-aluminum end caps. They have magnetic pistons to feed
position information back to the computer, and are fitted with
2-component polyurethane rod seals to keep contaminants out.
Related
Applications:
These pneumatic cylinders could be used in any application
that requires precise, reliable, repetitive movement.
How
Pneumatics Improved this Application:
- Time savings
- Repeatability
- Accuracy
- Durability
- Safety
This application was developed
by Norgren. To visit the Norgren web site, click here.
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