10053200Improving Dairy Farm Efficiency Using Novel Automation ProcessesClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe UK dairy industry continues to face strong pressure from increased costs, fragmented labour markets and increasingly stringent standards for milk quality. Northern Dairy Equipment Limited has been supporting farmers for over 15 years and in 2012, received the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) prestigious Machinery & Equipment Award for the most significant economic contribution to the dairy industry. This was based on our Sanicleanse products which deliver gentle and effective cleaning of cow's teats prior to milking. This procedure encourages milk 'let-down' and thus reduces milking times. Not only does this optimise the use of farm labour, it also increases milk yields and sanitises the teat prior to milking to minimise bacteria levels in milk. A moisturising solution improves skin health which in turn reduces occurrences of mastitis. Our system is not only good for the farmer and the consumer, it supports herd welfare and we supply our systems globally, including to over 800 UK dairy farms. In this project, we are building on our knowledge of the industry and exploiting strong partnerships to innovate and further improve the milking process. Our unique approach is an ideal blend of technology and human supervision which drives down costs, improves efficiency and ensures that herds are cared for effectively during milking. Unlike established, fully automated milking parlours (which are very expensive to install and can raise ethical/welfare questions), our approach is affordable, delivers fast payback benefits and can be deployed very flexibly to suit fixed and mobile milking parlours of all sizes. NDE's team will maintain a strong focus on operator and animal safeguards. Our subcontractor, CR Solutions, will focus on aspects of automation delivery. This project will impact the UK economy positively through job creation, delivery of significant domestic and export business resulting in higher UK tax contributions.