News
New Fullwood premises to open in the South West of England. - 02nd March 2010
Fullwood Limited has announced that it is opening a new dairy equipment service centre at Glastonbury in Somerset.
The new Fullwood South West – Glastonbury facility is due to open for business at the end of March 2010 and will provide full parlour installation and technical support services to large scale dairy farms and robotic milking systems throughout the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset and Avon. The new centre will also work closely with Fullwood’s existing service centre at Launceston, Cornwall to provide improved customer service and product support across the entire South West of England.
The new premises will feature a fully stocked warehouse of spares and consumables and will be staffed by three experienced milking parlour engineers, all of whom have specialised knowledge of all of Fullwood’s rotary, herringbone and Merlin automatic milking systems.
“The new dairy centre at Glastonbury will be a welcome addition to Fullwood’s presence in the South West,” said David O’Hare, Chief Executive of Fullwood. “The centre will work alongside our existing network of dealers in the area to provide improved technical support and to ensure shorter response times.
“Dairying remains a strong focus of the farming industry in the South West. By investing in this new facility, Fullwood is demonstrating its intentions to win new business in the region and to become the area’s predominant milking equipment supplier. Fullwood also remains committed to ensuring that its customers across the region have quick and efficient access to essential spares and top quality servicing facilities.”
Full contact details will be listed on this website as soon as Fullwood South West - Glastonbury is open for business.
Fullwood celebrates 225 years with a new Merlin - 24th August 2009
In 2010 Fullwood celebrates 225 years in business. To mark this anniversary the company is pleased to introduce the new Merlin 225, their latest high capacity milking robot.
Merlin 225 has a new streamlined look which has the added benefit of being more hygienic and easier to service. The latest model also enhances feeding and cow comfort. Further improvements to milking technique and general hardware of the machine have been incorporated to improve performance and capacity. This will further endorse Fullwoods’ position as a world leader in automatic milking machines.
Merlin 225 milks cows automatically, feeds the cows, manages milk quality, monitors animal health, detects cows in oestrus and automatically separates animals requiring attention. All these functions are managed by Crystal, Fullwoods’ complete herd management software.
Combined with Packo cooling technology, the new Merlin 225 offers farmers the complete high performance system for automatic milking.
Merlin 225 is being officially launched at this year’s Dairy Event and Livestock Show at Stoneleigh, UK on 16th and 17th September and will be available through the Fullwood worldwide distribution network later this autumn.
Step by Step Improvement in Heat Detection - 18th June 2009
Crysta Heat observes the cows’ activity 24 hours a day more efficiently than is possible manually helping to maximise conception rate.
Crysta Heat provides efficient activity information taken from a pedometer attached to the leg of a cow. Research maintains that cows approaching heat become more active than normal. The system is also able to indicate potential health disorders through reduced activity (i.e. lameness, sickness) enabling early detection and treatment increasing the chance of a speedy recovery.
By recording information on a daily basis and comparing it with the normal behaviour recorded for that cow to establish a pattern, it is possible for the software to show deviations (in a graph format) from which informed decisions can be taken.
Information is automatically collected when the cow walks close to antenna. Milking times are particularly suitable for this exercise.
Read about how one farmer, Ali Dobson, now replies on pedometers for heat detection.
View Supporting Article (PDF)
Danone involved in new project with Fullwood distributor MOST Ltd in Turkey - 12th January 2009
In May 2008 a project was started in Turkey to improve rural village milk quality. Many farmers have less than 10 cows and were milking by hand, which was time consuming and created issues with milk quality and animal welfare. The first 'Common Parlour' was opened in Kirklareli/Babaeski/Yenikoy village where local farmers could bring their cows to milk them collectively in a modern 2x8 parlour fitted with Aflilite milk meters and using Crystal Herd Management Software. As befitting the importance of this project, the opening was attended by Franck Riboud (CEO Danone Group), Serpil Timuray (CEO Danone Turkey), Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Agricultural Minister of Turkey, and Soccer player, Zinedine Zidane, who delighted those attending by playing football with the village children at the end of the day.
We hope this is the beginning of many such good projects between Danone and MOST, reforming the industry in Turkey.
View Supporting Article (PDF)
Fullwood: Milking In Malta - 19th August 2008
The first Streamline parlour featuring Sensomatics has been installed on a farm on the island of Gozo. Mr Anthony Cassar is delighted with his new Fullwood 12/24 parlour, which is fitted with an index breast rail, as it has reduced his milking time from 2¼ hours to just 1 hour.
Pictured (L-R) Omar Buttigieg (KPH installing technician), Shaun Cassar, Ian Hawken (Fullwood Ltd) and Anthony Cassar.
Packo gains recognition as impressive international Exporter - 23rd June 2008
"De Leeuw van de Export” awards a prize to Flemish companies who are strong in exporting. A jury of representatives from Ernst&Young, UNIZO, VLAO, VOKA and FIT decides who will gain the ultimate title.
Early in June Packo Inox has been elected as laureate of this competition in the first provincial round. The jury was impressed by the amazing export figures of the past years. There was a growth in the export of more than 60 % during the four last years. The result on the total turnover was very clear: 93% of the turnover growth resulted in the export.
In 2007 Packo Inox supplied e.g. milk cooling tanks, pasteurizers and centrifugal pumps to 66 countries.
Also the flexible way of which Packo Inox collaborates internationally with the partners, will have certainly attracted the jury.
Fullwood, who promotes Packo cooling and industrial product ranges, congratulates Packo Inox and wishes them continued success.
Test your milk quality - quickly and cheaply - 07th May 2008
Mastitis is the single most costly disease faced by dairy producers today. It takes money out of your pocket every day in many ways - decreased milk yield, lost premiums or increased penalties on milk price. If detected early these losses can be reduced.
With the growing pressure to lower bulk tank counts, the need for affordable, convenient early detection is even more critical but finding a viable option has always been problematic. The Porta SCC Milk Test was designed for this very purpose.
Read more about it in our Milking products section on this website, or contact your local dealer for more information.
Packo Inox Shanghai dispatched its 1000th milk cooling tank - 29th April 2008
Packo Inox Shanghai, 100% daughter of Packo Inox Belgium and member of the Fullwood Packo Group, dispatched their 1000th milk cooling tank last month.
This important mile stone was celebrated among the 40 employees of PXS and the Special Projects manager from Packo Belgium, Roger Bonte.
Packo Inox Shanghai was established late 2003, in the surrounding of Shanghai City and officially opened its assembly line for Milk Cooling tanks in the second half of 2004.
Gradually and with great support from Packo Inox Belgium, different types and sizes of milk cooling tanks were added to the production line in Shanghai.
Packo Inox Shanghai is exporting its products to countries in Asia as well as producing for the Chinese market.
The next milestone of 2000 tanks is expected as many of the national markets for milk cooling in the Far East are expanding rapidly.
Milking 300 cows in an hour - 02nd April 2008
Download the attached file to see how.
View Supporting Article (PDF)
Technology Can Set You Free! - 19th February 2008
Are your labour costs esculating? Do you find it difficult to employ skilled, reliable milking staff? Are you sick of being tied to the parlour?
Then take a look at the latest in robotic milking? Read what Merlin customers are saying about their machines (as seen in the April Issue of British Dairying magazine)
View Supporting Article (PDF)