DeLaval

We continue our journey exploring DeLaval’s Hamra Farm as we celebrate its 130th anniversary. Today, we begin with ’Mejeriet,’ which originally served as a milk processing centre. Here fresh milk was prepared before being transported via the Hamra locomotive – stay tuned for more on the Hamra Railway next time. In 1926, the building ceased dairy operations and was reconstructed in 1937, with two wings added to serve as a dormitory for the agricultural school. Today it’s known as Mässen, DeLaval’s popular restaurant for employees and farm visitors – especially a big hit on Thursdays for our traditional soup and pancake day. Image 4 shows Mässen as it is today – and as it looked when it served as the dormitory – while images 1-3 provide a glimpse into its time as Mejeriet, and image 5 shows how the processed milk from the farm was delivered to customers in town. Next to Mässen is the old agricultural school (images 6-7), founded in 1943 as Lantmannaskolan to provide practical and theoretical training in farming. Run by Stockholm County but owned by Separator AB (Gustaf de Laval’s company), it played a key role in Sweden’s agricultural sector. After closing in 1961, the site became Hamraskolan, an internal training centre for AB Separator (later Alfa-Laval AB). Today, it serves as DeLaval’s Hamra Conference Centre, continuing its legacy of education and innovation. 📷If you have any photos from your visit to Hamra Farm, we’d love to see them! #DeLaval #TeamBlue #Dairy #HamraFarm

’God Jul!’ from the calves at DeLaval’s Hamra Farm.

It's time to go on a tour! To celebrate Hamra Farm's 130th anniversary, let’s explore the history of some of the key buildings. First up is the Big Barn (Stora Ladugården in Swedish). Often called a “palace for cows,” the Big Barn was a significant step forward for farming when it was built in 1894. Replacing an ageing barn from the early 1800s, this impressive structure cost SEK 90,000 and embodied Gustaf de Laval’s vision of smarter, more efficient farming focused on animal welfare. In particular, the barn was designed with a lantern-style roof—a raised central section with windows—to improve ventilation, lighting, and air quality—issues common in traditional barns of the time. Inside, the barn housed: • 160 Ayrshire cows in clean, spacious surroundings. •28 horses in well-ventilated stables. •Dedicated spaces like isolation stables, sick bays, and hygienic feed storage to maintain high standards of care. De Laval’s focus on animal health was linked to his emphasis on hygiene. He worked to eradicate tuberculosis (TBC) and ensure the best conditions for the animals. By 1898, Hamra achieved TBC-free status, making it one of the first farms in Sweden to produce TBC-free milk. This achievement earned de Laval recognition from the Swedish king. In 1903, the farm showcased its model farming system during a meeting organised by the Household Management Society: Landtbruksmötet (pictured). Over 3,000 visitors attended to see the farm’s progress, especially the Big Barn, which had been praised for its ingenuity in Landtmannen, a prominent Swedish agricultural publication. A hub for innovation, the Big Barn became a testing ground for advancements in milking technology. Early experiments with machines like the Laktator paved the way for the Omega Pulsator in 1913, which revolutionised milking by mimicking a calf’s suckling. Building on this research and testing, in 1917, engineer John Daysh, working for De Laval in the United States, introduced the De Laval Milker. This machine featured gentler teat cups and vacuum breaks, setting new standards in milking technology. #DeLaval #TeamBlue #HamraFarm #WeLiveMilks #Cows #Dairy

For 130 years, DeLaval’s Hamra Farm—aptly referred to as the ‘heart of DeLaval’—has been a pioneering hub for developing and implementing advanced solutions to address the challenges of modern dairy farming. To celebrate its 130th anniversary, we are excited to share some of its rich history, including incredible footage of the farm through the years. Gustaf de Laval acquired Hamra Farm in Tumba, Sweden, in 1894 as a space for testing innovations, demonstrating their value, and gaining deeper insights into the needs of farmers, all while advancing DeLaval’s commitment to animal welfare. The farm’s location, with its access to expansive land and a skilled workforce, made it an ideal setting for realising DeLaval’s vision. Today, Hamra Farm remains a commercial farm owned and operated by DeLaval—our global headquarters are right down the hill from the farm. It is one of the most productive dairy farms in Sweden, boasting an average annual milk yield of 12,100 kg ECM per cow. At Hamra Farm, we continue to apply our latest innovations in real-world settings, further building upon DeLaval’s legacy of advancing dairy farming. #delaval #welivemilk #teamblue #cows #roboticmilking #HamraFarm

Can we improve milking efficiency while ensuring animal welfare? Recent research by DeLaval and Cornell University, USA, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, demonstrates that we are on the right track with Flow-Responsive™ milking. This collaborative study involved a 12-week trial on a commercial dairy farm near Ithaca, New York, with over 5,200 Holstein cows milked three times daily using a rotary parlour. Traditional milking methods were compared with the Flow-Responsive™ milking features: Flow-Adjusted Stimulation (FAS) and Flow-Adjusted Vacuum (FAV). FAS focuses on stimulating the cow to allow earlier attachment. It applies gentler settings during low flow to minimise strain on the teats while stimulating and waiting for milk ejection. FAV speeds up milk extraction by increasing the vacuum level when high milk flow is available and then reducing it once the high flow ends. This avoids the inevitable trade-off between udder health and productivity created by a fixed vacuum level throughout the entire milking process. Study results showed: “The use of Flow-Responsive™ milking in conjunction with early attachment of the milking unit resulted in lower odds of short-term teat tissue changes, lower odds of bimodality, lower odds of forced take-off events, and a higher peak milk flow rate. We conclude that the application of Flow-Responsive™ milking, combined with the early attachment of the milking unit, has the potential to improve parlour efficiency while promoting animal welfare.” As Konstantinos Kakoulis, Product Manager for Flow-Responsive™ milking and co-author of the study explains, by integrating these technologies DeLaval delivers a consistent process and optimises individual milking based on each cow’s needs: "They offer farmers the ability to increase throughput, reduce milking time, and improve overall parlour productivity, all while ensuring the health and comfort of their cows. This approach not only improves operational efficiency but also supports long-term sustainability goals.” He further highlights: “The results demonstrate the effectiveness of DeLaval’s approach to improving efficiency without compromising animal welfare, providing a balanced path forward for farmers aiming to meet production, welfare, and sustainability standards in modern dairy farming.” Read the full study here: https://ow.ly/e8Vv50UrA7I Images: The first image shows the teats being checked during the trial, while the second features Prof. Matthias Wieland from Cornell University, who led the study (second from the right), with his students who played a key role in conducting the research. #DeLaval #CornellUniversity #Dairy #FlowResponsiveMilking #Sustainability

If you've been following us on LinkedIn, you may have heard about our ongoing digital transformation: Programme one. As part of this effort, we’re implementing SAP S/4HANA, an advanced software platform that will simplify our operations and improve efficiency, making everything—from customer service to internal processes—more connected and streamlined. But what exactly does this mean? 📽️ To explain in more detail, we've created a video where leaders from across DeLaval discuss the importance of this programme, how it will strengthen our ability to support dairy farmers, and why it’s an exciting opportunity for SAP experts. #DeLaval #BusinessTransformation #SAP #IT #theFutureofDairy

Donna Walton braved –7°C weather for our North Stakeholder and Industry Day in the Dumfries and Galloway area (UK) to see how the future of agriculture is truly 'hotting up.' It’s inspiring to know that she – and many others – are dedicated to highlighting to the next generation why Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are vital for driving further progress in agriculture. Here’s to inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!

"I gained 10 years of experience in a few months!” Viktor Berg, Warehouse Manager at the DC in Gallin, Germany, joined DeLaval during the intense transition from Glinde to Gallin. The experience he gained during this time continues to influence his work to this day. Before joining DeLaval in 2017, Viktor was not familiar with DeLaval – although he had heard of our sister company Tetra Pak. But when he looked into what DeLaval was doing and our vision, ‘We make sustainable food production possible’, it resonated with him. “This vision really inspired me to join the company. I wanted to be part of a business that makes a real change in the world, guided by a clear purpose,” he says. He started as a Group Leader in the warehouse in Glinde, Germany. In that role, he was responsible for the so-called outbound area, which is the process of loading goods onto trucks going to customers. Today, Viktor is the Warehouse Manager in Gallin. Being the Warehouse Manager means he is directly involved with all parts of the warehouse operations. “I am overseeing the inbound and outbound processes, different picking areas, and the packaging area. In addition to this, I manage the warehouse administration. This means, among other things, that I am making sure that our customers get their orders shipped on time. To meet this goal, a lot of planning of the process leading up to the execution is required. Everything we do also needs to be done with safety, quality, delivery, costs, and sustainability in mind. We are in total around 135 people who are working on 6500 order lines per day,” he says. “I spend roughly 80% of my time on solving problems, improving procedures, and developing people in collaboration with internal and external interfaces to fulfil all internal and external expectations. The remaining 20% is spent on long-term activities, such as different projects, future processes, innovative solutions, and crisis management planning.” “If you like to move things forward and want to develop your skills in an environment that makes a difference – to make sustainable food production possible – you should join DeLaval. And that’s not all. I am given the opportunity to try stuff, and I know that is something that personifies DeLaval in general. You can have a good idea and try it! Sometimes things don’t happen as you hoped, but then you continue to the next idea. A third thing I really like about DeLaval is that the company not only operates with a focus on revenue. It is equally important to take care of our employees and ensure everything is done in a safe way.” #PeopleOfDeLaval Read the full article here: https://ow.ly/7qyU50Ukz35

DeLaval is taking conventional parlour milking to the next level with the upcoming launch of its new Milking Automation MA Series. Set to begin rolling out globally from January 1, 2025, this advanced milking automation control system is specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of dairy farmers using conventional parlour systems – helping them optimise their operations with features such as real-time data insights, scalable functionality, and cloud connectivity. Once the milking clusters are manually attached, the DeLaval Milking Automation MA Series takes charge, automating the process—from monitoring and controlling pulsation to measuring milk yield and automatically detaching the clusters when milking is finished. Christian Schmitz, Cluster Solution Specialist for Automation, DeLaval, says: "The DeLaval Milking Automation MA Series has been designed to deliver connectivity, flexibility, and performance, offering more efficient control at the push of a button. With DeLaval Flow-Responsive™ milking, it easily adapts to each cow’s individual needs, automatically adjusting milking speed and intensity to optimise milk yield while ensuring udder health. With its user-friendly interface and scalability, it is designed to grow with the farm." This new series consolidates all of DeLaval’s Milking Automation solutions for conventional parlour systems into a single streamlined product line available in three models – MA100, MA200, and MA500 – each designed to meet the specific needs of different types of farmers. The MA100 is a standalone version that provides more basic automation, while the MA500 is the most advanced model, offering an additional display showing key cow, milk, and herd management data. Ease of use is a cornerstone, with a one-touch button allowing farmers to toggle between milking functions like manual take-off, manual mode, stimulation, high vacuum, and cow sorting. This simple system reduces manual input, streamlines workflows, and enables quick adjustments. A colour-coded LED alert also signals when intervention is needed. The MA Series is also built around four key 'hero' categories: FlexiCommand, FlexiFit, FlexiFuture, and FlexiMilk, representing the system's new core capabilities: • FlexiCommand offers flexibility and control, with features like the Interactive Data Display (IDD) and new mobile apps. • FlexiFit ensures compatibility with all parlour types, including DeLaval, third-party, and competitor systems, making it ideal for new installations or retrofits. • FlexiFuture supports farm growth with a modular design that can scale from a standalone solution to full-system connectivity, providing access to advanced services like DeLaval Plus for real-time data and cloud services. • FlexiMilk integrates seamlessly with other DeLaval solutions, such as DeLaval Milk Meters, Flow-Responsive™ milking, and the Evanza™ milking cluster. Discover more about the solution at DeLaval Germany: https://ow.ly/I1BF50UiYcX

DeLaval has ranked among the top three for the prestigious Schwedischer Unternehmerpreis (Swedish Entrepreneur Award) 2024, a prominent German award. We were nominated in the ‘Medium-Sized Company’ category, acknowledging our successful growth and commitment to the German market. The Swedish Entrepreneur Award, presented annually by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Germany, Business Sweden, and the Swedish Embassy, honours Swedish companies that have successfully established themselves in Germany. The award has been presented since 2003 and recognises companies across several categories, including large businesses, medium-sized enterprises, and newcomers. This year's ceremony, held on 21 November in Berlin, brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs, and key figures from both Sweden and Germany. DeLaval was represented by Dr Markus Käck, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy Planning EMEA and Dr Stephan Lais, Vice President of Market Area Central Europe (pictured). In our category, DeLaval competed alongside two other outstanding companies: CTEK, a leader in battery solutions, and Mycronic, a supplier of production systems for the electronics industry. While CTEK claimed the top spot, we are pleased to have been recognised as one of the top three in such a competitive field. Dr. Stephan Lais says: “We are honoured to have been named among the top three nominees for the Swedish Entrepreneur Award 2024. This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone at DeLaval, and we are excited to continue growing our impact in Germany and beyond.” • About the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Germany: The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Germany is a non-profit organisation established in 1959 to connect Swedish businesses with opportunities in the German market. It provides a platform for networking, fostering collaboration, and supporting Swedish companies in expanding their presence within Germany and Europe. #DeLaval #TeamBlue #WeLiveMilk #Dairy #Innovation