Routine work time is the average time it takes per cow to complete the milking tasks, for example attaching clusters. It determines how many cows can be milked in an hour.
In a rotary, more work is automated compared to a herringbone, so cluster attachment is the main job, along with reattaching hoses, controlling the backing gate, or idle time if the platform is rotating too slowly.
A shorter routine work time will increase the number of cows that can be milked. The throughput (maximum number of cows able to be milked per hour) is calculated by dividing 3600 (number of seconds in an hour) by the work routine time.
Possible actions to take:
- Set your platform speed based on the operator’s ability to put the cups on, rather than the number of ‘go around’ cows. Go as fast as is sustainable for the operator, even if it means 15-20% of cows ‘go around'.
- Apply a maximum milking time (MaxT) which eliminates ‘go around’ cows and minimises idle time, letting the platform speed approach the maximum comfortable cupping speed.
- If you often have to stop or slow the platform because of empty bails or to encourage cows onto the platform, visit the design section for simple changes you can make to pipework aiming to improve cow flow.