The design brief for this project was to design a system that records litres of milk collected and produce receipt dockets that could be given to the farmers from where the milk was collected. The system was to be mounted on a trailer with minimal suspension that is often towed through paddocks and up rough driveways to get to the collection/drop off points and operated in all kinds of weather, so it needed to be made rugged and waterproof (IP67 rating).
TCS has extensive experience with both process control and metering as well as developing rugged technology solutions for agriculture applications which makes us the ideal company to develop a product like this.
The system consists of one of our ControlHolonix® controllers, fitted in an IP67 enclosure with a Seametrics WMP-series flow meter and an Epson thermal receipt printer.
As well as flow volume metering and docket printing, the ControlHolonix® controller provides a USB interface and real time clock (RTC) for accurate data logging and has a wireless interface that allows for integration of features like a remote HMI on a tablet or smart phone. The electronics are fitted in an IP rated enclosure and control is done via large waterproof buttons with tactile feedback to allow straightforward operation in all weather conditions.
