Lely Marks Assembly of the 2,000th Discovery Scraper

The moment was marked with a small on-site celebration, recognising not just a production number, but also the people behind it. For the teams on the factory floor, it was a chance to reflect on the impact these robots now have on dairy farms around the world, including many across Australia and New Zealand.

More than a milestone

While assembling the 2,000th Discovery Scraper is a significant achievement, it also reflects the continued trust of dairy farmers worldwide in Lely’s automated manure cleaning solutions as part of everyday farm life.

“This milestone is not just about production numbers,” said Ahmed Botan, Team Lead Production for Manure Products at Lely.

“It’s about the people behind the product. I’m incredibly proud of how our team has grown together, solved challenges, and kept pushing boundaries to deliver quality to our farmers.”

This year also marked a record for manure product production at Lely, continuing to highlight the growing role of automation in improving farm hygiene and efficiency and cow comfort.

Built on 20 years of innovation

The Discovery Scraper milestone comes in a year that also marks 20 years since the first Discovery robot entered a dairy barn.

Launched in 2005, the original Discovery Classic was designed to take over one of the most demanding jobs on the farm. Compact and safe to work among cows, it was built with both the farmer and the herd in mind.

Over the years, the Discovery series has continued to evolve. Early compass-based navigation gave way to more reliable systems, materials were refined for durability on slatted floors, and water-spraying technology was introduced to help remove biofilm and improve grip in warm, well-ventilated environments.

From scraping to collecting

A major step forward came in 2016 with the introduction of the Discovery Collector, which collects manure rather than pushing it. This innovation opened the door to automated manure handling on (semi) closed floors, used in the majority of dairy farms worldwide.

The latest Discovery Collector C2, introduced in 2023, builds on that foundation with improved battery capacity, wireless charging and smarter operation, all of which shaped by years of on-farm experience and farmer feedback.

Today, more than 23,000 Lely Discovery robots are operating globally, quietly and diligently supporting cleaner farms, helping improve hoof and udder health, and more efficient use of time and water.

Learn more about the latest Lely Discovery Collector

Looking ahead

Back at Lely HQ, the 2,000th Discovery Scraper was celebrated on the factory floor, with cake shared among the production team - a small moment to recognise a big achievement.

From its first drive through a barn 20 years ago to thousands of robots working worldwide today, the Discovery series remains a key part of Lely’s approach to sustainable dairy farming, by supporting farmers with smart and practical solutions that not only fit into the farmers’ daily life but also make farming easier and more enjoyable for our dairy farmers.