Product Innovation - Quality Equipment

Product Innovation at Quality Equipment

At Quality Equipment we pride ourselves on our excellent bespoke designs and customer service. Below are a few of our recently designed and tested products, which have been crucial pieces of equipment for reducing manual labour on farm and improving efficiency and accuracy.

Paneltim

Paneltim is mostly used for gate panels, penning, flooring and specialist uses such as electrical enclosures and storage containers. Paneltim is easy and quick to install in a wide range of sizes and applications. Its polypropylene surface makes it very hygienic and easy to disinfect and clean on the farm. The panels are formed of a matrix of cells and air pockets, which are great for insulation as well as their low thermal conductivity properties. The panels can be welded together in various shapes and sizes to suit different building requirements.

Iron filter

The iron filter has been developed for farmers using boreholes to supply their animals with clean water. The Iron filter is a polypropelyne  tank made from UV-stabilised Paneltim Panel. It incorporates a sprinkler to aerate the borehole water, converting dissolved iron into rust, which is then extracted from the bottom of the filter tank. One iron filter in combination with a suitable water storage tank is sufficient for 2000 finisher pigs. Water is drawn from the iron filter to fill a storage tank again with suitable level control. The iron filter reduces iron levels in water from over 2.53 mg/l to 0.037mg/l. Not only this, but it also filters manganese from 0.101 mg/L to 0.048 mg/L. Both of these levels far surpass what the World Health Organisation (WHO) sets as a baseline for safe drinking water in terms of iron (0.2mg/l) and manganese (0.4 mg/l).

Piglet Litter Weigh Trolley

QE has recently designed and developed a piglet weighing trolley which has the capacity to hold entire litters of newborn piglets. The trolley is easy to manoeuvre around the building and is made up of two parts: the removable Paneltim litter box (cleaned easily between weigh days, keeping it hygienic) and the load cell metal frame which is sturdy, manoeuvrable, and waterproof, making it easy to clean and disinfect. This is perfect for monitoring piglet growth from birth to weaning.

In–feed Dosing Unit (IDU)

The in-feed dosing unit is intended to be used in conjunction with the Baker Transition Feeder (TF) to dose medications or supplements to small groups of between 20 and 50 pigs. The unit is portable and can be fitted on top of a baker transition feeder when required. The IDU tank is capable of holding up to 5 litres and operates off a low voltage power supply. When not in use it should be removed and cleaned. Following on from this IDU, there are plans to create a dosing unit for water troughs that will sit on top of a gate.

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QE Staff Compete in Mud Run for Charity

14 October 2022

Quality Equipment has always prided itself on being a down-to-earth company. This was certainly the case for seven members of staff who got their hands – and everything else – dirty while taking part in the Only The Brave mud obstacle run. The event took place at Elveden Estates, near Thetford on Sunday 2nd April.

The aim was to raise £500 for the company’s favoured charity, the East Anglian Air Ambulance service. Pledges at over £1,000 have more than doubled this sum. A team of seven took part, plus two non-QE staff, with some tackling the five-mile and others braving the ten-mile course with over 40 obstacles!

Store expansion meets growth in plastic panel sales

14 October 2022

Due to increased demand for Paneltim by pig farmers, Quality Equipment has extended its storage area by 220m² (2368 sq ft) at its Woolpit, Suffolk, base.

This will enable the company to stock an extra 5,000m² (53,819 sq ft) of the plastic panel, widely used in piggeries, particularly for pen division and gates. It offers substantial benefits in terms of strength and hygiene over many traditional materials.

Birds eye view helps piggery planning

14 October 2022

Suffolk-based company Quality Equipment is using aerial technology to help it carry out site surveys. A drone takes still images and videos of plots for pig new housing and other farm building projects.

The bird’s eye views will help the company identify the best layout, access points, and any potential problems on sites for new houses or extensions, before submitting plans to the authorities in the normal way.