Twenty years ago we would probably have suspected innovative high-tech applications and state-of-the-art sensors as the last thing in the cowshed. However, this traditional image of agriculture is long out of date. In some respects, farms are now like industrial companies. Today, almost one in five cowsheds in Germany has jumped on the digitalization train. The BLDC motors from Minebea Mitsumi PM DM should not be missing.

Robots milk cows, drones map fields and sensors measure the nutrient content of the soil. This is what process optimization looks like in agricultural operations. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture set up a twelve-point plan for digitization back in 2016. Over the past six years, the dairy farmer Friedrich Bürkle and his family have built a showcase digital farm in Ursental in Baden-Württemberg. In addition to a two-year, intensive planning phase, he invested around one million euros in his automated yard. At first, the Bürkle family saw themselves confronted with a lot of skepticism. “At the beginning many people thought I was crazy,” reports the farmer. But today most of the skeptics are convinced of the “digital cowshed” project. The farm has often been featured in the media, on the radio and on television. There is great interest in Agriculture 4.0 and the need for automation technology is growing. Farmer Bürkle previously worked for the mechanical engineering company Arburg for 30 years. Automation, the networking of machines and data processing were not new territory for him.

Cow massage before milking

80 dairy cows are fully automatically milked and fed on the farm. The cows can move freely to the milking robot. This always knows exactly which cow is currently on site for milking. Even before the milking arm starts, the udder is cleaned, which looks a bit like a massage and visibly pleases the animals. Using a laser scanner, the milking robot finds the exact position of the udder in each cow. During the milking happens in the background, then much more. For example, the temperature, color and thus the quality of the milk are analyzed. The cows have their courses to the milking robot largely in their own hands. Of course, there are certain windows of time, which the stable-dwellers have already fully internalized.

Automated feeding

The modern farmer also relies on automation for feeding. The feeding machine delivers fresh feed up to eight times a day. The motto is: better small and fresh portions more often. If the farmer had to feed by hand in the past, that was only possible once a day. Here, of course, a larger amount was then given out, which then remained for a very long time even in hot temperatures. The feeding robot moves independently along the trough at regular intervals.

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In the event of problems, the device calls on Bürkle's cell phone, which can track the problem in real time via an app. The feeding robot transmits information about the weight of its load and the required composition to the filling station via Bluetooth, which also works completely automatically. The big advantage here: the composition of the feed can also be programmed differently for different groups of cows. The automatic feeder can also scan the cows' existing feed and fill it up as required. This is especially useful in summer when the cows need less feed at high temperatures. Thanks to modern technology, farmers can save not only time but also feed costs.

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Friedrich Bürkle's calves also get their milk fully automatically. Every three hours a feeding arm departs the young animals and the farmer can control exactly how much and how fast each calf drinks. Of course, there are many other data that could be collected in the future. Especially in the first 40 days the development of the calves is crucial and certain vital data could provide information about the future development.

The glassy cow

With an app or screen Bürkles can learn a lot about every single cow. All cows wear a choker with a chip, which records the activity and movement of the cows, the respective amount of milk and the rumination behavior. So farmer Bürkle always knows exactly which cow may have stomach problems, which cow is about to oint soon or calves. Even if a cow was not milking, can intervene directly and be looked after the animal.

The two-time transition to the stable per day is by no means replaced by the robots. But Friedrich Bürkle can now focus more specifically on his cattle. Asked if the relationship with his cows has become more impersonal through automation, he dismisses it: "Every farmer has a very close bond with his animals, giving them names and building relationships with the animals. During the daily milking I was mainly concerned with the cow's udder, now I can devote myself to the whole animal. "His cows should have it well at any time of the day:" In our barn, there are no dead ends for the cows, if they are higher Animal must dodge. Self-determined milking also makes animals feel measurably better. "

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The animals are healthier in the fully automated stable and around 10% more efficient in milk production. With such high investment amounts, of course, efficient management is also required. At any given time, Friedrich Bürkle knows exactly what the production of a liter of milk costs. The farmer's profession is increasingly evolving towards data managers.  

BLDC motors in fully automated stall

The market, which was created thanks to the developments in agriculture 4.0, is growing steadily. The engine development company PM DM in Villingen-Schwenningen is developing brushless DC motors, which are also used in automated milking, thereby supporting the process and docking of the milking arm to the udders. The control cylinder and other components are developed and built by the automation expert Festo in Esslingen.

PM DM, a subsidiary of the Minebea Mitsumi Group, has been developing in this special market for years. In contrast to other industrial motors, the motors in this application are exposed to enormous environmental requirements. With the "BLDC65" and a targeted selection of materials, all requirements and above all the service life specification could be met. The modified motor is the "power pack" in the system in almost daily continuous use. The production of brushless DC motors for agriculture has increased significantly in recent years.

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