Author: Rolf Reisgies

Heritage
Model SB Arm TakeOffs

The only civilized way to milk your cows…
TechForAg LLC
(715-360-3660)
www.techforag.com

The Hose Bundle of normal milking units puts extra weight on the front teat cups, causing squawking and occasional falloffs. The Arm of Heritage TakeOffs supports the weight of the hose bundle. If you raise the arm just a tad, so the support chain of the of the small arm link is straight, the arm supports the entire weight of the milking unit, preventing squawking and falloffs.
Horizontally, the three arm links are completely loose and flexible, where the arm follows the cow if she moves this way or that. The unit therefore always hangs straight.

On retract, the arm supports the claw and keeps it from dragging thru the mud and the crud - a much cleaner way to milk.
Besides, the equipment lasts many more years, since you are not moving it across the concrete floor.
The rest milk stays in the claw, keeping the area underneath the udder cleaner.
And you can milk with just one or two teat cups by supporting the rest of the unit with the arm.

Automatic TakeOffs...
...or Detachers, Removers or whatever they call them. In principle there are two types
Arm TakeOffs and
No-Arm TakeOffs, aka chain, cable or rope detachers.
Costs range from $200 for all-plastic semi-manual rope ‘Little Champs’ from New Zealand to nearly $4,000 all-stainless, all-air controlled Model SBs form DeLaval/Germania. Or for that matter the same Model SB for around $5,500 controlled by Afi Meters.
Arm TakeOffs are the gold standard of milking automatically:
Teat cups come off without residual vacuum
There is virtually no squawking
And no fall-offs
Your milker milks more cows/hour since he doesn’t have to chase fall-offs and squawking teat cups
You attach faster since you don’t have to untangle the claw, teat cups and milk hoses
They are easier on the Milker ergonomically, according to the University to Wisconsin
You can milk with just one or two teat cups if you have uneven udders
Teat cups hang straight in the rest position, rest milk remains in the claw
Claws and teat cups last longer since they do not drag across the floor on retract
….and they stay cleaner for the same reason
Life in a parlor with Arm TakeOffs is very different than milking in other parlors. For the whole story take a look at “Why Arm TakeOffs?” a DVD available form TechForAg for the asking (Call Kim at 715-360-8002).
Finally, meet Dr. Lionel Brazil. A dairymen early in his professional life, then founder of Western Dairy Research, Veterinarian Researcher at California State U. and eventually an independent consultant to the large dairies in the Central Valley.
Lionel died recently at age 88. I spent some time with him a couple of years

earlier, visiting dairies, comparing notes.
The central focus for his consulting clients was lowering and maintaining low SCCs. He had identified ’Insufficient vacuum decay times’ as one of the bugaboos preventing him from getting to the low SCCs he thought ought to be possible..
Virtually all of his clients were milking in large Parallels. With chain, cable or rope detachers. There are only two retract speeds after vacuum shut off - a bit slower or a bit faster.
Slow retract after vacuum shut-off results in vacuum decay to zero, exactly what he wanted, but the very majority of clusters drop on the floor, absolutely, positively not acceptable.
So - ‘A bit faster’ - and the majority of teat cups come off under residual vacuum, not enough time for the vacuum to decay to zero. Lionel had started to think of whether a technical solution could be found. Something electronic….and yet:
“I had the perfect solution back in the 70’s when I milked thru my double 18 parlors with Arm TakeOffs! No residual vacuum and no clusters on the floor.”
Watch the DVD when you get a chance….

Heritage Parlors - In the Spirit and Tradition of Germania
People Comfort - Cow Comfort - Great Quality of Milking!
TechForAg LLC 1855-A W. Davenport, Rhinelander, WI; Rolf’s Cell 715-360-3660

What Models?
At TechForAg alone we offer some 10 different units:
New Heritage Model SB Arm TakeOffs - for about $2,700*
In principle identical to Germania’s Model SB, but with many improvements. We are in the fortunate position to buy back equipment we designed and built many years ago. Obviously, we analyze it to see where we could have done better - and then we do. If you are interested in details, see the next few pages.
*Retail Prices shown, which apply if you buy thru a local Dealer. Subtract 15% if you buy dairy-direct from TechForAg.
Remanufactured Germania Model SBs - $1,850
The original thing. Most of the improvements we made to the new units are also made to these, with very few exceptions. the hinged cover for example, difficult to adapt to the older units.
Understood, all TechForAg units - whether new or remanufactured - are covered by an 18 months warranty.
Remanufactured Germania Model B-1 Arm TakeOffs - $1,707
The B-1 is technically identical to the SB. No difference in function what-so-ever. But where the SB is an all-stainless unit, the B-1 has a hot dipped galvanized main frame.
All frames are now welded, by the way, new and remanufactured, stainless and galvanized. Far stronger than the original bolted frames.
Remanufactured Germania Legacy 9000 Arm TakeOffs and Legacy 7000 No-Arm units - $1,850 and $935 respectively
Where the SBs and B-1s can be adapted to any HerringBone parlor with at least 38” cow-to-cow distance, the Legacy units were specifically designed for the ProTime II stalls and are integrated into the rump rail

New Heritage SwingLine TakeOffs - $1,450
Can be installed on any parlor, HerringBone, ParaBone and Parallel. Control
Box installed overhead in the center of the pit, stationary, does not move. Retract Cylinder also installed in the center, but swings from side to side like a pendulum.
There’s a stainless hook at every milking stall, immediately above the udder that the cylinder rests on for milking. When done, you swing the cylinder and the milking cluster across the pit. Unit starts automatically when you arrive at the other side.
New Heritage Model E No-Arm TakeOffs - $1,350
Our standard unit when No-Arm TakeOffs are called for...due to budget, personal preference, available space, etc. Two components: Control Box, installed underneath the curbing, and Retract Cylinder installed at the rump-rail.
Remanufactured Germania Model C No-Arm TakeOffs - $850
Looks like a miniature SB - same flow sensor, same controls, but no arm, no clutch, no counterweight or square tube. Flow sensor and controls installed behind splash shields and therefore protected from the crud and the mud, teat dip and water.
Easier to install than the Model E with all components on a single frame.
Plus several models of No-Arm units for Parallel parlors with some models to be installed on the rump rail, others below the curb, either openly or behind stainless cabinets in either case.

Optionally available for all Models:
No Air Controls
If you want to combine any of our TakeOffs with electronically controlled milk meter like the AIC ‘Herd-Tracker’ for example, we leave the air controls out. If you provide us with a template we even make a laser cut out into the cover to accommodate the key board.
MAC Valves
To have the meters control the TakeOff you need a solenoid valve. MAC Valves are the most commonly accepted. We can pre-install it….

Automatic Pulsation Shut-Off
Air-electric interface that shuts off the pulsator 10 seconds after the machine comes off the udder. Reduces noise in the parlor and doubles the length of time between PM Services.
Automatic Back Flush Valves - see chapter on Back flushing
Optionally Available for any Germania or Heritage No-Arm TakeOffs:
Counter-weighted Hose Supports - the easiest way to support the hose near the udder.
Simple Hose Supports Arms - lowest cost hose supports
Air-powered Hose Retractors - retracts the hose support arm automatically. Useful for large parlors where milkers overlook an arm that’s still out there when the cows leave - and stumble over the arm.
5-sec Drop-down Timer for Parallel Parlors - claw drops below the curb 5 seconds after retract, out of the way for udder prep and post dipping.

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