method and apparatus for determining a mixing regime for use in the preparation of animal feed from a set of ingredients, and a system for producing animal feed

摘要

method and apparatus for determining a mixing regime for use in preparing animal feed from a set of ingredients, and a system for producing animal feed. the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining a mixing regime for use in the preparation of animal feed in which a master computer is programmed to store a master list of ingredients that are available to farmers and from which a farmer can select a specific set of ingredients for the preparation of animal feed. the main computer is programmed to store the ingredients in a lookup table referred to the standard mixing periods to which the respective ingredients must be subjected during the mixing regime to produce an animal feed. in addition, the lookup table contains the mixing factors by which standard mixing periods can be changed to take into account non-standard conditions, such as variations in ingredients, the proportion of the particular ingredient, the average size or weight of the animals and the mixing apparatus and the condition thereof in which the animal feed will be mixed. the computer is programmed to determine the mixing period to which each ingredient will be subjected in the mixing apparatus based on the corresponding standard mixing periods and any mixing factors that must be taken into account. the computer is programmed to then produce a sequence in which the ingredients will be loaded into the mixing apparatus and the times when the respective ingredients will be loaded into the mixing apparatus, so that each ingredient is subjected to the appropriate mixing period for that ingredient during the mixing cycle of the mixing regime, to avoid over-mixing and under-mixing of ingredients.