Australia installs more Valéron® AVA than ever before
Recent large commercial trials during this summer with a major Australian egg producer, seeking to achieve 5ºC reduction during the summer peak temperatures, have shown that results were so impressive the company has plans to extend the use of the unique and innovative Valeron® AVA product across several of its major production locations.
A cost effective Bio Security System
Valéron® AVA, a high strength, composite sheet material and the system it supports, have been designed, tested and certified for use in the international food and agricultural industries. The latest version of Valéron® AVA has distinctive properties that offer major benefits to the poultry grower. Indeed, the product has been engineered to provide a cost effective Bio Security System that greatly improves conditions inside poultry houses, increasing flock health and growth ratios by helping to reduce the detrimental effects associated with heat or cold stress, gas build-up, biological contaminants and cross infection
Enhanced livestock husbandry
In many parts of the world rearing poultry in buildings is hampered by excessive heat and poor air quality. Trying to stabilise the poultry house environment by controlling temperature, humidity and gas levels by ventilation methods alone does not solve this problem. It is generally accepted that poor air quality and heat stress on a flock can seriously reduce production and increase mortality rates.
With an outbreak of bird flu in the area, a "free range" flock may be confined indoors all day. The increased stress to birds is likely to result in a higher feed input for a given growth rate or egg laying capacity. Certainly during hot weather, heat stress caused by infrared energy from the sun striking the poultry house roof will exacerbate the problem. The suns heat will conduct through the roof and radiate directly from its underside as infrared energy onto the birds below. The radiant heat will also increase harmful gasses by facilitating microbe action in the litter. Although the gasses can be expelled by increasing ventilation, radiating energy cannot be stopped in this way. By simply draping the Valéron® AVA over or under the poultry house rafters more than 96% of the infrared energy will be blocked, resulting in much less stress on the birds. The system can also be fitted to the walls to perform the same function. The product works either by reflecting back most of the radiating infrared energy striking its bright non-tarnish surface or by not radiating heat from its surface. The reflective property of the material also means electrical power required for lighting the interior can be reduced.
With a moisture transmission rate of virtually zero the installed system can even act as an excellent vapour barrier helping to stop the ingress of outside humidity where this is a problem.
Easily sanitised
The surface of the product has been designed to be easily sanitised after each production cycle. Once installed it can be pressured washed with water or steam. Resistant to chemical attack, it can be cleansed using an approved disinfectant without affecting its durability.
Although only 145 microns thick, Valéron® AVA is made from nine layers of material. At its core is a three layer Valéron® HDPE substrate, a product made by transforming raw polymer into film which is then cross-laminated under pressure rollers to form a semi-flexible sheet so strong it often replaces materials three times its thickness without loss of mechanical properties. Using a specially formulated thermal adhesive, laminated to one side of this substrate is a bright aluminium foil and to the other, a highly reflective aluminised polyester. These are then coated with an UV stabilised, chemically resistant finish providing a non-tarnish layer to the surfaces. Supplied in manageable 96 m rolls, 1,25 m wide (120 m²), the material is so tough and stretch resistant it's virtually impossible to tear and is "peck" proof! Experience has shown the product resists attack, and is not a food source for insects, wild birds, rodents or other mammals. It is unaffected by common moulds. This high strength product has been tested to EN 534 - a stringent test that certifies impact strength of a falling soft body.
Easy installation
It usually only takes a team of two to install the system. Flexible enough to be easily shaped around framework, once positioned it will not spring back, and its inherent strength eliminates the risk of accidental tearing during installation. A Valéron® aluminium-faced, self-adhesive tape is used to seal joins between sheets, around doors, fan inlet/outlets and other fittings.
There are a number of "insulating" systems on the market that reduce heat gain or heat loss. Costly foam or fibre insulation is not suitable for use in agricultural buildings as vermin can eat or nest in them. Membrane systems with stretchy or even paper substrates are either not tough enough for the application or deteriorate in a very short time due to the damp or humid conditions in agricultural buildings.
With an expected life-span of at least 20 years, the Valéron® AVA product is currently the only Bio Security System of its type that has approval for purpose by numerous authorities. Related certification has been received from: FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), EEC (relevant European Regulations and Directives), BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and Warrington Fire) meeting standards for surface flame spread and fire propagation.
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