Blister Sand-Filled Honeycomb Stall Mat Joint assessment/acid resistance Brief description Black Blister sand-filled honeycomb stall mat – made of rubber for deep-bedding stalls for cows and bovine animals Applicant/Manufacturer New Farms s.r.l. Via Visano Nr. 2 I-25010 Remedello (BS) Telephone: 0039 030 9953935 [email protected] www.newfarms.it Applicant Oberleitner-Windschutz GmbH & Co. KG Hainham 1 ∙ D-83119 Obing Telephone: 0049 8074 915700-0 Telefax: 0049 8074 915700-19 [email protected] www.oberleitner-windschutz.com DLG e.V. Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs – with 35 square holes, approx. 20 x 20 cm, that are filled with sand. Straw chaff should be spread over the surface to a depth of approx. 5 cm. – length approx. 154 cm, width approx. 114 cm, height approx. 11 cm – weight approx. 50 kg for each mat – shore hardness A: approx. 75 The mats are fastened to the designated fastening points on the floor using 12 bolts plus washers and dowels. Figure 2: Blister mat installed Figure 3: Blister mat installed, with straw chaff litter (litter removed so that mat is visibl

Test results and individual assessments Acid resistance The test samples of the Blister mat were analysed in a static immersion test according to DIN EN ISO 175:2000 (effect of liquid chemicals on plastics). For this purpose, 30 x 30 mm samples of the mat were completely immersed in the respective test medium for a period of 24 hours and 28 days at a room temperature of 20°C. In the 28-day experiment, the test solutions were changed weekly. The weight, dimensions and Shore hardness (Shore A) were measured before and after immersion. Assessment of acid resistance* The material used in the Blister...

Joint assessment In three farms that had installed only the Blister mat, a total of 105 cows were examined after the second trimester of lactation for e ­ xternally visible injuries in the joint areas (joint assessment). The assessment took into account the left and right sides of the body and concentrated on the 10 positions exposed when lying down (see Figure 6). The joint assessment was carried out by the same person in each case. Two farms used straw chaff as litter on the Blister sandfilled mat; one farm used pellets made of grain husks. The findings were recorded according to the scheme...

Test The DLG Focus Test included measurements at the laboratory of the DLG Test Center and examinations at three real-life farms. Acid resistance was analysed in the laboratory, and joints were assessed at the real-life farms. Test execution Other criteria were not investigated. Reporting engineer The test was based on the DLG testing framework for elastic stable flooring, as at April 2010. DLG e.V., Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs, Max-Eyth-Weg 1, 64823 Groß-Umstadt Project manager, livestock technology Dipl.-Ing. agr. Susanne Gäckler ENTAM – European Network for Testing of Agricultural...