2005 MIST mattress
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Structural stability and the load-bearing capacity of muck mattresses
Initial investigations have already been carried out in the past to determine the structural stability and load-bearing capacity of manure mattresses with differently prepared bedding. Deininger et al. (1998) developed a simple measuring technique that was able to record the stability of a manure mattress. On this basis, an extension and refinement of the measuring technique has been developed which, in addition to the maximum penetration force, also records the course of the forces and the penetration in order to be able to better assess the behavior of a manure mattress under stress. The "Drückeberta"® measuring system has its own power supply, can be attached to any standard tractor and allows freely adjustable penetration angles.
In the extended version, the "Drückeberta"® measuring system is equipped with claw models that are able to optimally simulate the tread. This is based on the possibility of directing the pressure of the hydraulic cylinder in different directions into the manure mattress, as the movement of the animal results in a change of angle in the direction of the penetration force; in the rarest of cases, the claw will carefully lower itself onto the manure mattress at a right angle. To accommodate this change in angle, the hydraulic cylinder is arranged so that its angle can be adjusted in two planes. In addition, the tread angle of the claw models can also be adjusted so that the claw model can come into contact with the manure mattress first from the end of the claw to the tip of the claw, depending on the setting.
Penetration resistance and water holding capacity
Investigations into the efficiency of straw use in animal husbandry