| 105 nzdairy “I have managed to pull some farmers back inside the regulations just by wrapping/ insulating the vat.” Sue Russell DAIRY SERVICES » Agrichill Ltd Three years ago refrigeration engineer Matt Parkinson, from Palmerston-North based Agrichill, launched a ground-breaking preventative technology ‘E-Smart’; a clever device that automatically turns on the vat when it inadvertently hasn’t been switched on manually. E-Smart is the the result of years thinking and being constantly asked by farmers that there must be a simple way to turn on the vat automatically. Matt developed a user-friendly and affordable solution to safeguard potentially thousands of litres of vat-stored milk from being wasted. When human error happens and the vat is not switched on, especially at pay out rates at present, it places the whole farm’s income at risk. Those farmers who have bought Smart Start say they wouldn’t be without it and several have already experienced it delivering on its promise to save a vat full of milk from being rejected. Quite often it’s the tanker driver who queries the vat as the controller is switched off however the milk is at the required temperature. The farmer only then realises the vat hadn’t been turned on. Matt’s decision to change the brand to Smart Start better re ects how critical this technology is. “I’m now starting to install Smart Start units in new sheds rather than just retro t them into existing ones. I have just completed the refrigeration installation on a new project for Nathan Guy in Foxton. It made sense to install a Smart Start system on each vat and the feedback has been great,” he says. Matt has experienced good traction in adopting the technology from a core group of clients he’s known for a long time. At present Pamu(Landcorp) is trialling them, with positive results but Matt hopes to see the system taken up by a wider cohort. “I compare it to wearing a life jacket. A lot of farmers see the risk and adopt it, however there are also farms that say we never forget to turn on the vat. There is nothing else like E-Start on the market. Just one vat of milk it saves well and truly pays its cost. Smart, prudent dairy farmers know about the value of mitigating risk and that’s certainly what this technology achieves.” Agrichill offers refrigeration, electrical installations and maintenance services to the dairy sector within the region and Matt says his intention is to remain fairly boutique in nature. In that way ensuring his existing clients get the very best service possible from his crew of experienced technicians. “I almost have a personal relationship with everyone we supply services to.” Matt’s association with the dairy sector stems back 20+ years when he joined Crozier refrigeration run by his father-in-law. He had been supplying refrigeration services to the TUI dairy company back in the day. The Glycol chilling unit. A vat wrap can pull some farmers back inside the regulations. By 2012, with his technical and engineering background Matt began developing pre-chilling systems. He’s also fortunate to know that, should demand for his work exceed current capacity of staff, he can turn to a few retired refrigeration experts to help. Agrichill also are agents for Coolsense pre-chilling machines, developed by Alan Steel. “I had a look at what he had developed and was really comfortable with the technology. I’ve known Allan for years so it was a natural step to be able to offer my customers good equipment. We provide Coolsense’s whole range of gear and offer the technical support as well. Always looking for good products to offer customers, two years ago Matt also linked up with Mike Lamond, from Smart Solutions based in Christchurch. Mike has developed a vat insulation wrap using recycled wool. “By wrapping the vat you save power, decrease your cooling time and once the milk is at temperature, it stays at temperature. They are not too expensive, make the vat look good and are easy to install with a 5 year warranty. I have managed to pull some farmers back inside the regulations just by wrapping/ insulating the vat.” A user-friendly and affordable solution Proud to be the electrician of choice for Agrichill We engineer quality refrigeration solutions tomeet with the exact needs of our customers. Providing quality solutions and parts that are energy e cient and reliable. New Zealand’s Dairy refrigeration specialists.
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