LELY ASTRONAUT A3 Next User manual

innovators in agriculture
www.lely.com
Lely Industries N.V.
LELY ASTRONAUT A3 Next
Milking Robot
Operator Manual
D-H023.0906EN
English Original

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TRADEMARKS, COPYRIGHT AND
DISCLAIMER
Lely, Astronaut, Atlantis, Hibiscus, Lotus, Splendimo, Astri, Astrodata,
Calm, Commodus, Compedes, Cosmix, Discovery, E-link, Fertiliner,
Gravitor, Grazeway, Hubble, Juno, Lely Center, Lelywash, Luna, Nautilus,
Pura, Qwes, Shuttle, T4C, Time for Cows, Viseo and Voyager are
registered trademarks of the Lely Group. The right of exclusive use
belongs to the companies of the Lely Group. All rights reserved. The
information given in this publication is provided for information
purposes only and does not constitute an offer for sale. Certain products
may not be available in individual countries and products supplied may
differ from those illustrated. No part of this publication may be copied
or published by means of printing, photocopying, microfilm or any other
process whatsoever without prior permission in writing by Lely Holding
S.à r.L. Although the contents of this publication have been compiled
with the greatest possible care, Lely cannot accept liability for any
damage that might arise from errors or omissions in this publication.
The English language manual is the original manual. Translations into
other languages use the English language manual as the source
document. Lely accepts no liability for discrepancies between the
original English language manual and versions in other languages. If
there is a conflict over the content and accuracy of any translated
manual, the English language manual is the authority document.
Copyright © 2009 Lely Industries N.V.
All rights reserved
Lely Industries N.V.
Weverskade 110
3147 PA Maassluis
the Netherlands
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.lely.com

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LIST OF INCLUDED AMENDMENTS
No: Issue Date
(yy/mm)
Chapter(s) Remarks
09/06 Initial Issue

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PREFACE
Manual Contents
This manual contains the information necessary to operate the
ASTRONAUT A3 Next Milking Robot. It also includes maintenance and
troubleshooting information that can be done by an operator.
Study and understand this information thoroughly before you operate
the robot. Failure to do so could result in personal injury or damage to
equipment. Please consult your local Lely service provider if you do not
understand the information in this manual, or if you need additional
information.
All information in this manual has been compiled with care. Lely shall
not be liable for errors or faults in this manual. The recommendations
are meant to serve as guidelines. All instructions, pictures and
specifications in this manual are based on the latest information that
was available at the time of publication. Your milking robot may
comprise improvements, features or options that are not covered in this
manual.
Applicability
The table below shows the type numbers of Astronaut milking robots
for which this manual is applicable. The last three digits (XXX) identify
specific options installed with the milking robot.
Model designation
Model Type number
Astronaut Milking Robot Left Hand (LH)
Astronaut Milking Robot Right Hand (RH)
5.1103.0010 - XXX
5.1003.0010 - XXX

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Registration
The Type and Serial Number Plate is attached to the right front (RH
models) or left front (LH models) of the Astronaut milking robot. Always
include the type and serial numbers of your milking robot when you
contact your local Lely service provider or order spare parts.
Type and Serial Number Plate
We suggest you complete the table below with the type and serial
numbers of your milking robot. This makes sure you can easily find the
information.
Type number
Serial number
Maintenance Authorization
WARNING
Only technicians certified by Lely Industries are authorized to do
maintenance on the ASTRONAUT A3 Next, except for the maintenance
done by the operator as indicated in the Operator Manual.
If people who are not certified by Lely Industries do maintenance on
the ASTRONAUT A3 Next, the warranty on the ASTRONAUT A3 Next
becomes invalid.
Before a technician does maintenance on an ASTRONAUT A3 Next, the
owner must examine the service pass of the technician and make sure
the technician is currently certified to do maintenance on the
ASTRONAUT A3 Next.
At the end of each visit, all work done on the ASTRONAUT A3 Next must
be written in the logbook and the logbook must be signed by the
certified technician. The logbook must always be kept near the
ASTRONAUT A3 Next for the entire life of the product. The information
in the logbook must include:
•The maintenance done
•The date of the maintenance
•The name of the technician
•The certification number of the technician.

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Technician Training
All the technicians certified by Lely Industries have completed an
approved training program, and passed written and practical
examinations during and at the end of the training program. The
training is given by a product specialist. The examinations are done
under supervision of a master product specialist and include
troubleshooting and corrective maintenance of the ASTRONAUT A3
Next.
There are five certification levels:
•Installation Technician (certification valid for two years)
•Service Engineer (certification valid for two years)
•Senior Service Engineer (certification valid for two years)
•Product Specialist (certification valid for one year)
•Master Product Specialist (certification valid for one year).
During training, a trainee is permitted to work for up to a maximum of
six months under close supervision of a certified technician. A trainee
can do work on the milking robot can only in the presence of a certified
technician.
When the training program is completed successfully, Lely issue a
certificate and a service pass to the technician. The service pass contains
the following information:
•The name of the technician
•A photograph of the technician
•The certification number of the technician
•The date of expiry of the certification.
Local Maintenance Contact Number
We suggest you write the telephone number and email address of your
local maintenance contact in the table below. This makes sure you can
easily find the information.
Telephone number
email address

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1-1
2. Safety 2-1
2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.2 Signal Words 2-1
2.3 Safety Instructions 2-2
2.3.1 General Safety 2-2
2.3.2 Electrical Safety 2-3
2.3.3 Installation Safety 2-3
2.3.4 Operating Safety 2-3
2.3.5 Maintenance Safety 2-4
2.4 Safety Decals 2-5
2.4.1 Safety Decal Messages 2-5
2.4.2 Maintenance of Safety Decals 2-10
2.4.3 Installation of Safety Decals 2-10
2.5 Emergency Stop Buttons 2-11
3. Specifications 3-1
3.1 Milking Robot 3-1
3.2 Compressor Unit 3-1
3.3 Milk Quality Control System MQC-C (Option) 3-2
4. Description and Operation 4-1
4.1 Introduction 4-1
4.2 Component Description 4-1
4.2.1 Box 4-1
4.2.2 Cow Identification System 4-3
4.2.3 Feeding System 4-3
4.2.4 Covers and Doors 4-4
4.2.5 Robot Arm System 4-5
4.2.6 Milking System 4-6
4.2.7 Milk Quality Control System MQC-C (Option) 4-9
4.2.8 Cleaning System 4-12
4.2.9 Support Systems 4-15
4.3 Operation 4-18
4.3.1 Milking Process 4-18
4.3.2 Milk Transport 4-20
4.3.3 Milk Sampling 4-21
4.3.4 Milk Quality Control 4-22
4.3.5 Feeding 4-25

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4.3.6 Cleaning 4-25
4.3.7 Alarm System 4-29
4.4 User Interfaces 4-30
4.4.1 X-Link Control Panel 4-30
4.4.2 CRS+ 4-38
4.4.3 PC with the T4C Farm Management Software 4-48
5. Installation 5-1
5.1 MQC-C (Option) 5-1
5.1.1 Removal of the Processor and the Sampler 5-1
5.1.2 Installation of the Processor and the Sampler 5-2
6. Operating Instructions 6-1
6.1 Start Up and Reset 6-1
6.1.1 Put the Milking Robot in Operation with the X-Link 6-1
6.1.2 Take the Milking Robot(s) out of Operation 6-1
6.1.3 Reset the Milking Robot 6-2
6.1.4 Calibrate the Robot Arm 6-3
6.2 Milking 6-3
6.2.1 First Milking 6-3
6.2.2 Interrupt a Visit 6-8
6.2.3 Interrupt Pre-Treatment 6-9
6.2.4 Reconnect the Teat Cups 6-9
6.2.5 Prolong milking 6-9
6.2.6 Interrupt Post Treatment 6-9
6.3 Cleaning 6-10
6.3.1 Start a Cleaning or Rinse with the CRS+ 6-10
6.3.2 Start a Cleaning with the X-Link 6-10
6.3.3 Cancel a Rinse with the X-Link 6-11
6.4 Robot Arm 6-11
6.4.1 Move the Robot Arm to the Home Position 6-11
6.4.2 Move the Robot Arm to the Service Position 6-11
6.5 Extra feed 6-13
6.5.1 Switch on Extra Feed 6-13
6.5.2 Switch off Extra Feed 6-13
6.6 Reset a M4Use Bucket when Emptied 6-13
6.7 Empty the Milk Tank 6-14
6.8 Sampling 6-14
6.8.1 Connect the Shuttle 6-14
6.8.2 Change Sample Rack 6-15
6.8.3 Stop Sampling 6-16
6.9 Alarm Handling 6-17
6.9.1 Confirm Alarms 6-17
6.9.2 List Active Alarms 6-17

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6.9.3 Display the History of Alarms 6-17
6.9.4 Clear Active Alarms 6-18
6.9.5 Suppress Active Alarms 6-18
6.10 Display the Event History 6-18
6.11 View the MQC-C Attention List (Option) 6-19
6.11.1 Examine the Attention List in T4C 6-19
7. Maintenance 7-1
7.1 Introduction 7-1
7.2 Preventive Maintenance Schedule (Farmer) 7-2
7.3 Preparation 7-4
7.3.1 Switch OFF the Milking Robot 7-4
7.3.2 Switch ON the Milking Robot 7-4
7.4 Covers and Doors 7-6
7.4.1 Remove or Install the Covers on the Robot Arm Side 7-6
7.4.2 Open the Multiple Function Box 7-11
7.4.3 Close the Multiple Function Box 7-11
7.4.4 Remove or install the Lower Arm Cover 7-12
7.4.5 Remove or install the Mothership Cover 7-12
7.5 Box 7-13
7.6 Feeding System 7-14
7.6.1 Clean the Feeding System 7-14
7.6.2 Calibrate the Feed Portion 7-17
7.7 Robot Arm Systems 7-18
7.7.1 Clean the Bleed Holes 7-18
7.7.2 Clean the Outside of the Teat Cups 7-19
7.7.3 Examine the Cup Cords 7-20
7.7.4 Examine the Teat Cup Sleeves 7-21
7.7.5 Examine the Cup Centring 7-22
7.7.6 Replace the Cup Cords 7-23
7.7.7 Clean the Robot Arm and the Box 7-27
7.7.8 Clean the sTDS Screen 7-27
7.8 Milking System 7-28
7.8.1 Examine the Teat Cup Liners 7-28
7.8.2 Replace the Teat Cup Liners 7-29
7.9 Milk Transport System 7-36
7.9.1 Examine the Twin Tubes 7-36
7.9.2 Shorten the Twin Tubes 7-37
7.9.3 Replace the Filter Element of the Single Filter 7-40
7.9.4 Replace the Filter Element of the Twin Filter 7-42
7.10 Cleaning Systems 7-43
7.10.1 Confirm the Availability of Astri-TDS 7-43
7.10.2 Confirm the Use of the Correct Astri-Products 7-43
7.10.3 Examine the Cleaning Brushes 7-44

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7.10.4 Replace the Cleaning Brushes 7-45
7.11 Support Systems 7-46
7.11.1 Examine the Air Compressor and the Air Dryer 7-46
7.11.2 Examine the vacuum pump oil level 7-46
7.11.3 Clean the Exterior of the Vacuum Pump 7-47
7.12 Control Systems 7-49
7.12.1 Examine the Attention Alarms 7-49
7.12.2 Examine the Attention List 7-49
7.12.3 Examine the Robot Performance List 7-50
7.12.4 Clean the Touch Screen of the X-Link 7-50
8. Test and Adjustment 8-1
8.1 Covers and Doors 8-1
8.2 Box 8-1
8.3 Feeding System 8-1
8.3.1 Calibrate the Feed Portion 8-1
8.4 Robot Arm System 8-2
8.4.1 Shorten the Cup Cords 8-2
8.5 Milking System 8-5
8.6 Milk Transport System 8-6
8.6.1 Manually add a Cow for Calving 8-6
8.6.2 Manually add a Cow for Dry Off 8-7
8.6.3 Manually add the Milk Separation of a Cow 8-9
8.7 Cleaning Systems 8-11
8.7.1 Test the Spray Beam of the Teat Disinfection Nozzle 8-11
8.7.2 Test the Spray Beam of the Disinfection Nozzle for the Cleaning Brushes 8-11
8.7.3 Measure the Concentration of Astri-L 8-12
8.7.4 Measure the Temperature of the Hot Cleaning Water 8-12
8.7.5 Adjust the Astri-Cid:Astri-Lin Ratio 8-13
8.7.6 Adjust the Quantity of Pre-treatments 8-13
8.8 Alarm System 8-14
8.8.1 Set the CRS+ to generate an Alarm or Phone Call 8-14
8.9 Support Systems 8-14
8.9.1 Test the Save-Life Switch 8-14
8.9.2 Test the Earthing 8-16

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8.10 Control Systems 8-16
9. Troubleshooting 9-1
9.1 The Milk is moving up and down in the Milk Tube 9-1
9.2 No Milk Flow in one of the Teat Cups and Twin Tubes 9-1
9.3 The Milk Jar is not emptied after milking 9-1
9.4 Cleaning Brushes are dirty after Brush cleaning 9-1
9.5 The Udders are not clean before the Milking starts 9-2
9.6 Cleaning Brushes are dry 9-2
9.7 X-Link is OFF 9-2
9.8 Alarm System does not generate a Phone Call during the Night 9-2
9.9 Robot Arm falls down 9-3
9.10 Robot Arm does not Connect 9-3
9.11 Cow is not identified 9-3
9.12 Troubleshooting Flowcharts 9-4
9.12.1 Alarms and Phone Calls 9-4
10. Diagrams 10-1
10.1 Left Hand Model 10-1
10.1.1 LH Length Dimensions (Metric) 10-1
10.1.2 LH Width Dimensions (Metric) 10-2
10.1.3 LH Length Dimensions (Imperial) 10-3
10.1.4 LH Width Dimensions (Imperial) 10-4
10.2 Right Hand Model 10-5
10.2.1 RH Length Dimensions (Metric) 10-5
10.2.2 RH Width Dimensions (Metric) 10-6
10.2.3 RH Length Dimensions (Imperial) 10-7
10.2.4 RH Width Dimensions (Imperial) 10-8
10.3 MQC-C Process Flow 10-9
Glossary of Terms
Index

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Introduction 1-1
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1. INTRODUCTION
The ASTRONAUT A3 Next Milking Robot is part of an automated milking
system that milks, feeds, and monitors the health of cows. The milking
system also examines the quantity and quality of the milk received from
the cows, and if necessary, it separates milk that is contaminated or not
to the correct standard.
A transmitter on each cow enables the system to identify the cow via a
unique number, and a management system maintains specific records
for each cow. The milking system uses these records to manage the
milking and feeding of a cow when it enters the milking robot.
The milking system has four primary parts:
•The milking robot (one or more)
•The milk storage tank
•The control system
•The compressor.
Optional part is the MQC-C for the cell count.
The automated milking system has three operator interfaces:
•The X-Link interface to control the ASTRONAUT A3 Next
•The CRS+ interface to control the cleaning and reporting system from
all connected ASTRONAUT A3 Next milking robots
•The T4C management system to manage the herd and to manage
and control the milking system and all connected optional systems.

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2. SAFETY
2.1 Introduction
The safety alert symbol identifies important safety messages on your
ASTRONAUT A3 Next Milking Robot and in the manual. When you see
this symbol, be alert to the possibility of personal injury or death. Follow
the instruction of the safety message.
Safety Alert Symbol
2.2 Signal Words
Note the use of the signal words DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION with
the safety messages. The signal word for each message uses the
following guidelines:
DANGER
Indicates an imminently hazardous situation that, if not
avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
WARNING
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could
result in death or serious injury, and includes hazards that are exposed
when guards are removed.
CAUTION
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, may result in
minor or moderate injury or product or property damage.
Note:
This shows extra information that may help the reader.

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2.3 Safety Instructions
YOU are responsible for the SAFE operation and maintenance of your
robotic milking system. YOU must make sure that you and anyone else
who is going to operate, maintain or work in the vicinity of the milking
robot knows all the related SAFETY information in this manual.
YOU are the key to safety. Good safety practices protect you and the
people around you. Make these practices a working part of your safety
program. Make sure EVERYONE who operates, maintains or works near
the milking robot obeys the safety precautions. Do not risk injury or
death by ignoring good safety practices.
•ASTRONAUT A3 Next owners must train operators before they
operate the milking robot. This training must be repeated at least
annually
•The operator must read, understand and obey all safety and
operating instructions in the manual
•A person who has not read and understood all safety and operating
instructions is not permitted to operate the milking robot
•Do not modify the equipment in any way. Unauthorized modification
may impair the function and/or safety and could affect the life of the
equipment, and persons
•Only use approved spare parts, and make sure they are only installed
by authorized technicians.
2.3.1 General Safety
•Read and understand the manual and all safety signs before you
connect power supplies to operate, maintain or adjust the milking
robot
•Only trained persons are permitted to operate the milking robot
•A first-aid kit must be available near the milking robot. Store in a
highly visible place
•A carbon dioxide or foam fire extinguisher must be available near the
milking robot. Store in a highly visible place
•Install all protective covers and guards before you operate the
milking robot
•Wear the correct protective clothing and equipment
•SWITCH OFF the milking robot, disconnect and isolate the electrical
power supply, release pneumatic pressure and wait for all moving
parts to stop before you clean or do maintenance on the milking
robot
•Know the emergency medical center number for your area
•Contact your nearest Lely service provider if you have any questions
•Review safety related items with all operators frequently (annually).