Lely Unveils Updated Astronaut Robotic Milker and Juno Feed Pusher

Lely debuted a new robotic milker and automatic feed pusher in the company’s Astronaut and Juno series, respectively.

During the Lely Future Farm Days hosted at the company’s headquarters in the Netherlands the Astronaut A5 automatic milker was unveiled. The A5 has been optimized to reduce stress for cows by optimizing cow comfort and free flow traffic.

A new hybrid arm on the A5 offers a quiet, quicker, energy efficient and more consistent milking. The speed of milking should also improve as the arm will more easily detect unexpected movement.

Teat Detection System is a new feature that will improve post-milking teat spraying by pre-scanning the udder before spraying. This will ensure optimal udder hygiene and limiting the risk of contamination.

The A5 was subject to testing on more than 30 farms around the globe with more than 2 million milkings prior to its release. Lely reports that water and detergent use was lowered in the new A5 helping drop energy use by up to 20%.

““Milking a cow has never been so easy and comfortable for the farmer and the cow,” says Alexander van der Lely, CEO of Lely. “The Astronaut A5 contributes to our aim of making the lives of farmers easier, their business more successful, and opening up a bright future for them and their families. That is why we listened to farmers throughout product development, and thoroughly tested Lely’s Astronaut A5 with farmers all over the world.”

Third Generation Feed Pusher

Lely’s Juno automatic feed pusher has been available more than 10 years and a third generation of Juno is being offered to dairy farmers.

The latest model of Juno has been updated to be better utilized in different barn designs and even flowing into multiple barns on a farm. The new generation of Juno has been optimized to ensure fresh feed is in front of each cow. The Juno can go into other barns by opening and closing electric doors via a Bluetooth connection.

Bluetooth technology also allows the Juno to be operated with a smartphone using the “Lely Control Plus” operation system. Farmers can adjust the route for the Juno on their smartphone by steering the feed pusher with the touch of a finger on the phone screen.

A collision detector is also featured on the Juno, helping prevent any accidents. The Juno has an electric pulse that helps detect cows or humans as well.

The A5 is currently available, while the new Juno will be on the market in the second half of 2018.

Read the full press release on the Lely Astronaut A5 or the Lely Juno to get more information.