In the September 19, 2011 issue of National Hog Farmer, writer Dick Hagen addressed the new buzzwords in the swine industry – Electrostatic Particle Ionization (also known as EPI). Read the excerpts below from the article “Help Clear the Air in Hog Barns”.
EPI Air Technology has met and surpassed the criteria laid out by Murphy-Brown, LLC, the world’s largest pork producer. Murphy-Brown, LLC installed EPI units in two, 2,000-head production nurseries.
Bob Coffelt, Business Development Manager, and Steve Pollmann, President of Murphy-Brown’s Western Division shared their experience with EPI. Here is what they had to say.
“The strength of the probability out of our testing convinced us fairly quickly that this appears to be an innovation well worth our time,” notes Bob Coffelt, business development manager at Murphy-Brown’s western division. “When we first looked at it, the system appeared to be fairly unorthodox. But the results speak for the system. Pigs simply do better,” Coffelt says.
“Maintenance requirements are low and the installation unobtrusive,” he adds. “It tends to challenge one’s concept of the improbable values of dust suspension and odor issues. The sensory impact would lead one to believe that odors were lower in rooms equipped with EPI.”
“This is a significant change in environmental systems with a net result of improved pig performance,” explains Steve Pollmann, president of Murphy-Brown’s western division. “We’re excited. The science is sound. Even though understanding the technology is a bit of a challenge, the takeaway is that EPI in our test runs provided documented evidence of the potential benefit of this technology.”
However, the only logical means of getting real mileage out of EPI technology depended upon conclusive evidence from the swine world. Murphy-Brown was receptive to testing the technology and its impact on pig health and gains in production. Click here to view the detailed results and data from the Murphy-Brown installations of EPI.
Read the complete article “Help Clear the Air in Hog Barns” in National Hog Farmer.
Read other articles where EPI Air is featured in the News.