Disclosed is a monitoring system, and associated method, relating to the operation of a dairy plant, the system being adapted or able to monitor one or more of the following criteria: the mixing and/or dispensing of animal health products, the mixing and/or dispensing of teat treatments, the mixing and/or dispensing of chemicals, the mixing and/or dispensing of cleaning chemicals, the monitoring of plant cleaning operations, the usage of plant products/treatments/chemicals, and/or any other aspects associated with the operation of a dairy plant. The system is preferably able to monitor a dispensing system associated with a dairy plant.

A Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) system and process for cleaning objects are provided for use in a CIP plant suitable for, e.g., producing products requiring a high level of hygiene. The plant includes primary and optionally secondary tanks for cleaning media, a freshwater supply, one or more forward lines forwarding liquid (e.g., cleaning media or water) from the plant to one or more objects. Objects may include one unit or a part of a unit, such as a tank or pipeline, or a combination of units, and each object is subjected to a separate CIP flow. Return line(s) and forward line(s) manage liquid (e.g., cleaning media or water or freshwater) between various components of the system.

A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit.

A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit.

The present invention relates to a UV lamp having an axial dimension normal to a cross-section having a cross-sectional area with a ratio of the axial dimension to the cross-sectional area in the range of 0.1 cm/cm.sup.2 to 1000 cm/cm.sup.2. The UV lamp includes a first axial conductor separated from a second axial conductor by an electrically insulating material and a light emitting diode (LED) capable of providing light at a wavelength in the range of 100 nm to 400 nm, which LED is mounted to emit light from an outer surface. The invention also relates to a method of sterilising a surface using the UV lamp.

A milking system configured to milk animals includes at least one milking station, a milk tank, a transport conduit, a valve arrangement, and a cleaning arrangement that includes a delivery arrangement configured to deliver a first liquid into the milk transport conduit and to deliver a second liquid into the milk transport conduit, a pump, a controller configured to control the delivery arrangement, and a detector configured to detect that a delivery of the first liquid into milk transport conduit has ended. The detector is connected to the controller, which is configured, as a response to a signal from the detector that the delivery of the first liquid has ended, to activate the delivery arrangement to deliver the second liquid into the milk transport conduit subsequently to the ending of the delivery of the first liquid while there is a column of first liquid in the milk transport conduit.

A milk cart comprises a chassis, a storage tank coupled to the chassis, and a conveyor system comprising an exit configured to connect to a return line that terminates inside the storage tank. The return line comprises a first portion extending vertically towards a bottom of the inside of the storage tank, a second portion extending vertically in a direction towards a top of the inside the storage tank, and a base portion extending from the first portion to the second portion. The second portion is positioned at a lateral distance from an interior of a wall of the storage tank and further comprises an upper end comprising at least one opening.

A milking device for milking of a dairy animal with teats includes a control unit, a milking device including milking cups, a robot arm to attach the milking cups to the teats of the dairy animal, a teat-detecting device to determine positions of the teats, including an outer optically permeable component, such as a lens or cover plate, and a cleaning device to clean the optically permeable component. The cleaning device is provided with a cleaning liquid supply and an application device to apply the cleaning liquid to the optically permeable component. The milking device includes a spraying device for spraying a teat-treating liquid on the teats. The application device is configured to apply cleaning liquid to the optically permeable component at least while the spraying device sprays the teat-treating liquid. As a result thereof, adhesion of the often sticky teat-treating liquid to the optically permeable component is efficiently counteracted.

A milking device for milking of a dairy animal with teats includes a control unit, a milking device including milking cups, a robot arm to attach the milking cups to the teats of the dairy animal, a teat-detecting device to determine positions of the teats, including an outer optically permeable component, such as a lens or cover plate, and a cleaning device to clean the optically permeable component. The cleaning device is provided with a cleaning liquid supply and an application device to apply the cleaning liquid to the optically permeable component. The milking device includes a spraying device for spraying a teat-treating liquid on the teats. The application device is configured to apply cleaning liquid to the optically permeable component at least while the spraying device sprays the teat-treating liquid. As a result thereof, adhesion of the often sticky teat-treating liquid to the optically permeable component is efficiently counteracted.

A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit.