Six new products from World Dairy Expo 2022

This year's event provided another great opportunity to review new products for dairy producers. Products came in big and small packages, and even in the cloud.

The World Dairy Expo 2022, taking place this week in Madison, Wis., provided another great opportunity to showcase new products for dairy producers. Innovations came in big and small packages, and even in the cloud. Here are six that caught my eye.

The Velocity Composite Rotary Milking System by Waikato has been designed to withstand the demands of the busiest dairy operations. Its construction is structurally stronger, lighter, and longer-lasting to withstand the harshest of milking environments. The cabinet contains the pneumatic detacher, automation display, multi-function touch-button, and CIP unit. The cluster arm guides the cluster into the correct milking position and swings out of the way on detachment. Washing the cabinet is made easy with a smooth outer stainless steel. The cluster washer folds out for attachment to the teat cups and retracts for milking.

The Mega Direct Drive 72-inch exhaust fan by J&D Manufacturing maintains performance and efficiency with no power loss or reduction from aging belts and pulleys. Direct drive means no belts to change, no pulleys to maintain, and no greasing motor or bearings. The prop has a die-cast aluminum hub, airfoil profile, and is optimally pitched for increased performance. An IP66-rated motor provides premium efficiency. The fiberglass housing and cone has drainage holes in the bottom of the housing to allow moisture to release, is UV-resistant, and has a smooth exterior for easy cleaning.

The Orbi-Feed by Valmetal is a rotary action feed pusher that is guided by a continuous magnetic strip embedded in the floor. The feeder is controlled by the Orbi-Feed mobile app on private WiFi, with no internet connection required. It can be operated on a floor with a maximum slope of 3%. It features a 24-volt gear motor, twin 12-volt batteries, 24 automatic cleaning cycles, a main power disconnect, and wheel release handle. At the end of its cycle, the Orbi-Feed automatically returns to its charging station.

Nedap's SmartFlow Milk Meter is the first milk meter that is completely wireless. The design ensures even and unrestricted milk and airflow through the meter. There are no flow obstructions or interruptions, which could cause a vacuum drop or fluctuation. The meter is durable, easy to install, and cost-effective to maintain. Because it is wireless, there are no malfunctions related to faulty wiring. It measures and registers the milk and flow rate of individual cows during each milking with the highest accuracy.

The newly redesigned SlopeScreen separator by GEA delivers enhanced functionality and performance. The SlopeScreen has a modular design that can grow based on customer needs. The separation surface can be adapted to different flow rates and animal numbers, and ranges from 32 square feet to 96 square feet. It can be configured in a single stage or a two-stage separator, with the addition of a roller screen and press for more water capture and drier solids.

Introduced by VAS, MyDC on Pulse is a cloud-based herd management platform designed to help simplify day-to-day tasks. The platform integrates all of a dairy's data, from activity monitors to milk meters. With MyDC on Pulse, producers can save time and improve accuracy with cow side data entry using the mobile app, access to customized reports and work lists, knowledge on the who/what/when of all actions using the activity log, and the ability to view important dairy data in a customizable dashboard.