Ben Guelker
Special Projects Manager
Lely North America
Did you know?
Last year, 7,771 active pre-owned Astronaut systems were running in the field, making up 16% of our total installed base! How many will there be in 2025?
Sustainability by design
These early lessons in refurbishment reflect Lely’s broader approach: designing products responsibly from the start.
When designing the Astronaut A5, Lely focused on reducing energy use compared with the A4. Thanks to making the robot arm – the machine’s largest energy consumer – 90% more efficient, energy use (and their related CO₂ emissions) and farmers’ energy bills are significantly lower. The new arm is also more robust, reducing service visits and part replacements.
Similarly, an example for the pre-treatment unit: repairs were tricky, refurbishment wasn’t done centrally, and many Lely Centers simply replaced the whole unit when something went wrong - wasting a lot of material. Since the new model in 2024, most problems can now be easily fixed on the farm by replacing just the broken part, saving thousands of kilograms of material every year and making repairs much cheaper for farmers.
Even better, a new cable set allows this improved unit to be installed on older A3 robots too, making them up to 80% more energy efficient than the old pneumatic version - a win for both farmers and the planet.
Overcoming refurbishment challenges
Each refurbished Astronaut receives thorough inspections, safety updates and cosmetic touch-ups. 'We want every farmer to feel confident and proud of their purchase,' says Ben.
Refurbishing Astronauts hasn’t been without hurdles. 'Learning how to clean the units effectively took time,' Ben notes. 'We also had to provide clear visibility of the work involved to keep potential customers engaged.'
New customer segments
'Our goal is to double the lifetime of every machine,' Ben explains. 'But it’s not just about sustainability – it’s about giving more farmers access to our technology, while also supporting our circularity strategy.'
In fact, around 70% of the refurbished Astronauts from North America go to farmers who are new to robotic milking. By offering a premium, reliable, plug-and-play used option, we can tap into an entirely new segment.
After just one year since the CPO introduction not only has the used market grown significantly, CPO sales accounted for nearly 50% of the used Astronauts sold in the USA.
Extending the lifetime of our products contributes to our Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) goals by reducing the environmental impact, promoting responsible consumption and reducing waste. In North America, Lely is opening up new opportunities through its Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programme. We asked Ben Guelker, Special Projects Manager for CPO in the US, about the initiative.
At a dedicated hub, every pre-owned Astronaut robot in North America is fully refurbished and prepared for a new owner. This extends its working life, and also helps us to reach farmers who may not previously have considered robotic milking.
HOTSPOTS
Did you know?
Last year, 7,771 Pre-owned Astronauts were installed worldwide in the field. How many will we see in 2025?
Sustainability by design
These early lessons in refurbishment reflect Lely’s broader approach: designing products responsibly from the start.
When designing the Astronaut A5, Lely focused on reducing energy use compared with the A4. Thanks to making the robot arm – the machine’s largest energy consumer – 90% more efficient, energy use (and their related CO₂ emissions) and farmers’ energy bills are significantly lower. The new arm is also more robust, reducing service visits and part replacements.
Similarly, an example for the pre-treatment unit: repairs were tricky, refurbishment wasn’t done centrally, and many Lely Centers simply replaced the whole unit when something went wrong - wasting a lot of material. Since the new model in 2024, most problems can now be easily fixed on the farm by replacing just the broken part, saving thousands of kilograms of material every year and making repairs much cheaper for farmers.
Even better, a new cable set allows this improved unit to be installed on older A3 robots too, making them up to 80% more energy efficient than the old pneumatic version - a win for both farmers and the planet.
Overcoming refurbishment challenges
Each refurbished Astronaut receives thorough inspections, safety updates and cosmetic touch-ups. 'We want every farmer to feel confident and proud of their purchase,' says Ben.
Refurbishing Astronauts hasn’t been without hurdles. 'Learning how to clean the units effectively took time,' Ben notes. 'We also had to provide clear visibility of the work involved to keep potential customers engaged.'
Ben Guelker
Special Projects Manager
Lely North America
New customer segments
'Our goal is to double the lifetime of every machine,' Ben explains. 'But it’s not just about sustainability – it’s about giving more farmers access to our technology, while also supporting our circularity strategy.'
In fact, around 70% of the refurbished Astronauts from North America go to farmers who are new to robotic milking. By offering a premium, reliable, plug-and-play used option, we can tap into an entirely new segment.
After just one year since the CPO introduction not only has the used market grown significantly, CPO sales accounted for nearly 50% of the used Astronauts sold in the USA.
Extending the lifetime of our products contributes to our Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) goals by reducing the environmental impact, promoting responsible consumption and reducing waste. In North America, Lely is opening up new opportunities through its Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programme. We asked Ben Guelker, Special Projects Manager for CPO in the US, about the initiative.
At a dedicated hub, every pre-owned Astronaut robot in North America is fully refurbished and prepared for a new owner. This extends its working life, and also helps us to reach farmers who may not previously have considered robotic milking.
HOTSPOTS
